RSR II
by moodiful819
Summary: Sequel to Rock Star Romance. If high school was any indication, college was going to be one hell of a ride. Pairings are the same as the original.
1. Chapter 1: So the Gang’s all here

Well, this is the sequel I promised. Reviewing my plot line made me realize that there's actually more Sasusaku and the other pairings here than the original RSR. (Wrong place, right?) Well, without further ado, the story.

**AND BEFORE ANYONE FLAMES THIS STORY, I PUT THIS IN THE KAKASHI/ANYONE CATEGORY MEANING THIS IS AN OC STORY. IF YOU FLAME THAT SHE'S A MARY-SUE, THINK BEFORE YOU FLAME. YOU DON'T HELP ANYONE BY TELLING THEM WHAT THEY _ALREADY KNOW_. I DON'T BITCH ABOUT CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS BECAUSE THEY HELP PEOPLE. I BITCH ABOUT FLAMES BECAUSE THEY SHOW HOW IGNORANT YOU ARE FOR WASTING YOUR TIME AND THE AUTHOR'S FOR HAVING TO READ YOUR GARBAGE. IF YOU WANT THE MARY-SUES TO STOP, SPECIFY WHAT THEY HAVE TO CHANGE TO FIX THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF WHINING AND CALLING THE AUTHOR A STUPID WHORE!**

(As you can see, this has been building for a while. I will repost this rant for everyone to see because instead of bitching what you don't like and leaving it there, be a constructive reviewer and actually leave something that will help the author correct their mistakes. Only two people have left constructive criticisms on that and while I couldn't apply it as much I wanted with the RSR brand, I have applied it elsewhere and improved myself as a writer. Basically, leave a good review because it tells the author that you actually care about the story. If you can't remember this, I've created a catchy slogan: **Stop the Mary-Sues. Leave a good review**.)

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Key: "talking"

'_Thinking'_

'**Inner'**

_Song_

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**Ch.1: So the Gang's all here**

A shadow passed over the window while the sun rose, a rhythmic breathing accompanying the coming of day. A girl smiled, basking in the warmth of her bed and let a content sigh pass her lips. Yes, all was right with the world.

**Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt!**

The girl shot up in bed, hair mussed and eyes in a half-lidded daze. "Huh? Wha?"

A blond girl exited the shared bathroom, a toothbrush in her mouth. "Finally, you're awake," she said brushing vigorously. The girl turned to the blonde. "Oh, hi Temari-chan."

Temari rolled her eyes and watched the girl fall back to sleep and sighed. Walking over to the bed, she took a look at her serene face and smiled before going back to the bathroom. Coming back shortly after, she grabbed the edge of the girl's comforter and yanked it back and doused her with the glass of water in her hand, leading to some very interesting results…

"Cold! Cold!" she screamed as she bolted up. Taking a good look at the large wet stain on the front of her tank top, she sent an annoyed glare to her friend. "Dammit Temari!"

Temari grinned, looking very much like Anko so many years ago when she came to do that morning wake-up call. "What are roommates for, cuz? Besides, we got plans. Last day of summer, remember?"

Her cousin rolled her eyes and groped for the hair tie she left on her nightstand. Reaching up, she tied her hair into a ponytail. _'Is it really time for school already?'_ Giving her roommate a murmured explanation about going to the bathroom, she went inside and locked the door.

After hopping into the shower, she stared at her reflection as she brushed her teeth. Not much had changed for Megumi since leaving high school. Her hair was still long, after arduous years of growing it back after cutting it the first year she got to college. Fresh start, it may have been, but it was still a pain seeing how it got into her face every chance it got. Besides the hair, she, like every other female she was friends with, grew taller and had finally gotten more curves, namely a bigger chest. Unfortunately, it garnered more unwanted attention, but hey, better than being flat.

She smiled wryly to herself in the mirror. If the girls knew what she was really like, they'd never look at her the same. Hinata would probably faint on the spot, something she hadn't done in years. Gently chiding herself for her slightly sadistic thoughts, she spat out the minty but foul-tasting foam from her mouth and rinsed before reentering their shared dorm.

The dorm wasn't that much of a deal, even if they were at the famous Konoha University. Just as Fire Leaf high was (if you got down to the bare bones) just a high school, Konoha U was just a college. Two beds, one loft and one regular, two desks, two computers, a large dresser, a mirror, a nightstand, and a shelving unit. Somehow, they managed to get a t.v. in here, but Hinata and Tenten's cute factor were not to be underestimated. The housing adviser just couldn't say no.

As Megumi ran over to the closet, she pulled out a pair of shorts and a baby-blue T-shirt. As she tried to pull on her shoes, her ankle bent to the side and she fell backwards. After landing in her bed, her cousin looked down at her disapprovingly and she let out a sheepish chuckle before Temari rolled her eyes and climbed into her loft bed. Grabbing her wallet from under her pillow, she climbed back down the ladder.

"Come on, squirt. We're late."

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Bright laughter mixed with the other sounds the park had to offer that day. A bicycle rode past the multitudes of trees and past a group of faces.

"Where are they?!" the blonde male whined. A raven-haired boy cuffed him, his body tense with anger, but then again, after listening to Naruto whine like that for a full twenty minutes, you'd probably get testy too.

"Shut up, dobe. You're being annoying."

The blond glared and looked to another friend for help. "Sakura-chan!!!! Teme's being mean," he whined, earning another blow to the head from the raven-haired boy's girlfriend. Obviously, the gods weren't shining on Naruto today.

"Shut up, Naruto," she said through gritted teeth.

As Naruto nursed the two lumps on his head, the others laughing or smirking at him, Hinata smiled softly at him before wrapping her arms around him and kissed them. Naruto blinked and smiled at his girlfriend before kissing her lips tenderly. Hinata smiled against him and kissed him back, both lost in their own little world before—

"Yes! This is the power of youth!"

The two separated abruptly as Sakura, Ino, and Tenten berated Lee on his impeccable timing while their boyfriends, Neji and Sasuke settled to watch, Shikamaru just lazing about under the shade of the tree.

Shikamaru looked around the park near the university. _'Where is she?'_ he thought and let the word 'troublesome' escape his lips.

"Are you saying I'm troublesome?!" Ino snapped. Shikamaru flinched and gave her a noncommittal 'no.' Apparently, the answer had pleased her because he wasn't getting slapped which meant trouble from his own girlfriend later. It really sucked being him. If it wasn't Temari whipping him into shape, it was Ino keeping him on his toes. Sure, she and Sai were on the 'off' portion of their off-and-on relationship, but really, did she have to take it out on him?

"Troublesome," he muttered to himself, only to find a searing pain in his left cheek. She was certainly in a foul mood today.

"Ino! Stop hitting my boyfriend!"

Ino whipped her head around. "Well, tell him to stop calling me names!"

"You don't have to hit him!" Temari shot back as Megumi slunk off to the side to Shino and Shikamaru.

"Really, I thought we got past acting like four-year-olds. Guess I was wrong," she said, Shino and Shikamaru nodded in agreement.

After a few minutes, when the screeching got too much, Sasuke and Sakura separated the two like usual and the two sat steaming on opposite sides of the tree. Shino relaxed under the shade of the tree when Megumi tapped him on the shoulder. "So, I heard you have a fiancée, what's she like?" The group suddenly quieted, their ears piqued for word of this new fiancée.

Shino sighed. "Hell if I know. Apparently, this was an arranged marriage our parents set up when we were kids. I hate it. If I marry, I want to choose the person on my own, not have them strapped to my side because of a stupid agreement made before I was born," he said irritatedly. He was getting letters from his parents for the past year about the girl. He didn't care that she was the heiress to a major company. Sure, if he was still in high school, he might have given her a chance, but he had changed during college. He'd become more outspoken and this was something he was strongly against.

'_Knowing them, they picked out some demure girl with no capability of thought. Hopefully if I have to marry her, she has half a brain.'_

Footsteps crunched in the grass and the gang looked up to see a strange girl. She had shoulder-length raven hair and ice blue eyes. Judging by her looks, she was about Sakura's height. "Shino-san?"

Shino quirked a brow up. How'd she know his name? "Yes?"

The girl seemed relieved. "Thank Kami. I've been looking all over for you. I'm Ikeda Chieko, your fiancée. Your mother told me you were attending school here and I asked the housing manager where you were and he said you were probably here," she said smiling demurely.

'_Great. Thanks a lot, mom. She's just what I didn't want.'_

Brushing the grass from his pants, he stood and stared down at her. "Look, just because my parents said that I had to marry you, doesn't mean I'll like it. From the looks of it, you have no real intellect and only good as a housewife," he said earning a searing pain in his left cheek.

Shino stared at the girl in surprise while she glared at him, her face flushed. "You fucking ass; don't you talk down to me! I don't really like this arrangement either, but my parents said you were a great guy so I came here trying to be civil and give you a try, but you just had to turn out to be a chauvinistic pig! Well, you know what? Screw you, jerk!" she screamed.

She stomped away, leaving deep-set footprints in her wake while the group stared at her in disbelief. Shino stared wide-eyed at her shrinking figure, his mind blank as he held his hand to his red cheek, but he did manage to register Megumi's remark.

"You know, I think I like her."


	2. Chapter 2: Us

Chapter 2 is here. Thanks for all the reviews so far. They really help me. And now, after an entire fic, Megumi's character develops. Please give me feedback.

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**Disclaimer: Don't own and never will own Naruto or anything else I mention. Only time this will be here.**

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**Ch.2: Us**

Music blared and the boom of the bass line muffled the sounds of beers clinking against the wooden countertops and the raucous laughter of a certain female.

"So Naruto started moaning about ramen in his sleep?" Ino laughed. Sakura stirred her drink with her straw, an exasperated look on her face. She rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't you expect this by now?"

"It's still funny, forehead girl. This is something that will never get old," she retorted as she swayed to the music.

They were at the hit club Black Lotus a few blocks away from the college. It was a pretty relaxed place. With a DJ and a bar, it had everything a college student needed when not hitting the books. The atmosphere wasn't bad either. As Megumi put it, "it's just like the Bronze from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, sans Buffy, the gang, vampires, and the drop-dead gorgeous James Marsters a.k.a. Spike."

As the girls danced and talked around their drinks, the various males in the clubs licked their lips. Just where were their boyfriends exactly? Well, they were all at the Sharingan mansion having a guy's night, so at Ino's suggestion, they had a girls' night out. They could still remember her smile as she said, "The guys can't have all the fun, right?"

The lights overhead changed as the DJ placed a slow song on and Megumi lifted her glass to her lips when a boy walked over to her. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"Already got one," she replied shaking her beverage for good measure. The boy look defeated, but quickly recovered. "How about a—"

"No thanks."

"But I didn't even—"

"Trust me. I don't want to dance, talk, or have you introduce me to your friends or have you give me your number. All I want is to listen to the music and sip my drink," she said and watched the boy leave out of the corner of her eye.

"Jeez, wasn't that a bit harsh, Megumi?" asked Tenten. Megumi simply shrugged. "All he wanted was a night of easy company. My virginity means a lot more to me than that. Besides, he didn't seem that great," she said sipping her drink once more.

"Aw, come on. He seemed nice. You should give him a shot."

"That's what you said last time, Ino. Remember what happened?" she said, a brow arched.

"I remember! He walked you to your dorm and tried to shove his tongue down your throat after you kissed him goodnight," Sakura smirked.

"Luckily, Temari-chan was there to bail you out," Hinata smiled.

"Exactly, she said watching the guy advance on another girl by the bar. _'That's all he wanted. A cute face and a great ass. Man, why doesn't anyone want a meaningful relationship anymore?'_

"But, come on. You really should get one," Ino prodded.

"Because you all have one?" she asked.

"Yeah. That way, we can all gossip about our boyfriends," Ino smiled. Apparently, she was in her 'on' portion of the relationship with Sai. Megumi shook her head.

"Unless hell freezes over, I probably will have to miss those conversations. Besides, being single isn't that bad. You aren't tied down by anyone and they have all these bar nights just for you," she smiled jokingly.

The girls giggled as Ino sighed, having lost the battle. Satisfied with her work, Megumi stood up from the couch and straightened out her clothing. (Rihanna's outfit from the opening sequence to Umbrella. The one where she has short hair and all those back-up dancers while it rains sparks.) Grabbing her coat, she shrugged it on and pulled it around her. Temari looked up. "Where are you going?"

"The dorm. I'm leaving."

"Why?" Tenten asked.

"Ino signed me up for this online dating service and I don't want to be too hung-over tomorrow," Megumi said. Her friends nodded and watched her leave as Ino smiled triumphantly. She might have lost the battle, but she might just be winning this war.

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Kakashi sat at the candlelit table, his fingers tugging nervously at his collar.

'_Stupid tie. Stupid formal settings. Stupid Genma. Why the hell'd he sign me up for this crap? So what if I'm single? Who cares? I'm fine!'_ he thought angrily as he tugged on his tie. Really, this was ludicrous. Seriously, Genma had dragged him to his place and sat him in front of the computer as he revealed his grand plan to end Kakashi's single life: Online dating.

After much debate and mutual threats of blackmail, Genma simply tied him to the chair and began typing his profile for him, asking for information only when he needed him. It was surprising just how much his friend knew about him. Just three minutes later, he had gotten fifteen women interested in meeting him. Genma thought this was great. Kakashi thought it was asinine.

After three more blackmail threats and a threat to his Icha Icha collection, Kakashi agreed and decided to sate Genma in his quest to find him a girl and scanned them over. With Genma's (unwanted) assistance, they had narrowed the list to one girl. She didn't leave her name, but left a screen name, Winter Tears. Though Genma thought she might have been an emo chick, he kept telling him to go for it, saying her anonymity made her sexy and definitely worth the trouble of a meeting. Kakashi said he was crazy, so why was he at the restaurant waiting for his date?

He heard footsteps pad over towards his table and glanced up. Red heels, red dress, and red nail polish. The lady in red, just as she said in her email to him. He moved his gaze up, scanning over her body, her neck, resting on her full lips. He felt the corners of his mouth turn up. _'She doesn't look half-bad.'_

"Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi looked up, startled and had to blink at the woman sitting across from him. "Megumi?!"

Brain function seemed to churn erratically as he tried to process this information. The woman he had just been ogling was his former student and neighbor. Someone must be having fun up there at his expense.

'_What did I do to upset you, Kami? Was it the porn? It was the porn, wasn't it?'_

"What are you doing here?" they asked simultaneously. "I'm meeting someone here," they replied together.

"You too?" Megumi asked.

"Wait, don't tell me," he smirked.

"Konoha Cupid Online Dating service?" they chorused, both breaking into laughter. Kakashi covered his mask with his hand. "Who signed you up?"

"Ino. You?"

"Genma," he replied as she began to giggle uncontrollably. She looked up and began to laugh more and he found himself having to stifle a snort. They couldn't even look at each other without laughing. They eventually stopped and a waiter came over with a bottle of red wine and took their orders. As he poured some into both their glasses, Megumi tried to get her breathing back to normal. She looked up and saw that Kakashi was staring at his lap. They had officially reached the awkward stage.

Megumi fidgeted in her chair, now regretting on going on this date, but something gnawed at her. She tried to ignore it, but every time she did, it would come back even worse than before. Finally she gave into her curiosity.

"So…you like eggplant?"

He looked up, surprised that she had asked him something. "Huh? Oh, yeah."

"Really? Not everyday you meet people that do," she said as she reached for her wineglass and took a sip.

"I know. Weird huh? Whenever I say I like eggplant, people look at me like I was walking around with a penguin strapped to my back," he said and she smirked. "Interesting analogy."

"You know what I mean," he sighed.

"Yeah. So, why did you choose that name? Wolf's bane?"

"I don't know. I always loved those kinds of stories when I was a kid. Why Winter Tears?"

"I love winter and the tears thing just came with it," she explained. "So, did you make this account by yourself? Because you don't seem like the type to do this."

"Genma dragged me into this. He threatened my Icha Icha collection," he replied. "You?"

"Same thing with Ino, though she didn't threaten my Icha Icha collection seeing how I didn't have one to begin with."

"What'd she threaten you with?"

"Replace my entire closet with pink frilly lace clothing. I wouldn't have minded the lace, but the other things, that's a whole different story," she said taking another sip of her wine. "How's house-sitting?"

"Not too bad. Kiku's needs her nails trimmed, though," he replied.

"What about life?"

"Teaching is still strange, Genma is annoying, and I got a new Icha Icha volume recently. You?"

"Last year of college. It explains itself." Kakashi nodded sagely and smirked when he remembered something. "Megumi. I'm curious. On your profile, it said you liked older men. Is that true or did Ino put you up to it?"

"No. It's true. See, I sought approval from my father, but I never got it and now, I like older men because I'm subconsciously trying to get the approval I sought after when I was a child in them."

Kakashi chuckled. "Very astute. I take it that you took psychology at some point."

"Yup. Besides that, statistically, women seek out their fathers or the fathers they never had in their spouses. Plus, older men are more experienced with life than I am. I don't know what to do or where to go in life, so I look to them for answers."

"Wow," he said simply and Megumi swirled the glass of wine in her hand. "But understanding the disease does not mean I can cure it," she said wistfully.

Kakashi chuckled. "What do you mean? You think liking older men is a disease?"

"No. Heavens no! It's just…I know my problem and I know I shouldn't be trying to seek my father in other men, but I do it anyway and that's why I hate it."

"Aa."

"But understanding the why doesn't really help in the cure. That's why, even with our vast knowledge and advanced technology, we can't find a cure for the common cold."

Kakashi chuckled and sipped his wine. "My, my, aren't we the misanthropist?" he teased.

"Only when the world has nothing to offer me," she said smirking in return.

"Cynical too. College sure has changed you," he said. Megumi shook her head. "I was always like this."

Kakashi blinked. "Really?" he asked, curious.

"Yup. I've always had two sides to myself. One was created to satisfy people and smile, being the one you saw in high school and are familiar with, and the other is the one you see now."

"Why are you only showing this side of yourself now?" he asked, a bit of concern in his voice, but Megumi just shrugged it off. After all, she was used to this. "Might be the wine I'm drinking, or maybe, it's because I trust you."

"So why only now? You've trusted me for years, so why?" he asked trailing off, his hands folded and resting on the tabletop.

Her eyes became distant, in the candlelight, they seemed haunted, but that was probably a trick of the light. "Because I couldn't before."

She looked up and saw the unspoken question in his eye, the other covered by an eyepatch. "Remember all that stuff that happened in high school?"

He nodded.

"Well, everything was falling apart. Sakura and Tenten felt betrayed by their boyfriends and Neji was contemplating suicide. Everyone was getting so stressed out and we were all just so _confused_ and they needed help and there I was, the ever-level-headed girl.

"And so, I became the crutch; the support for them all with my smiles and my shoulders to cry on…but…it was all a sham. I wanted to cry too."

"But why didn't you say anything?"

"We all have our little secrets, Kakashi-san. I couldn't tell them because where else could they turn to? Our parents are all oceans away and they wouldn't be able to understand. Besides, how would I be able to turn them away when they needed someone most?"

"But what about you? Didn't you need someone? Couldn't you put your needs before theirs?"

"Of course I needed someone, but they needed someone too and I've lived a life of self-sacrifice for so long, that it's become second nature. I think I've forgotten how to say no to a person," she laughed, the sound coming out a bit strained. She traced the lip of the glass with her finger. "Besides, just because I wanted to cry doesn't mean I could."

"But you always seemed so happy, so carefree, so…"

"Normal?" Her lips curved into a smirk, too bitter for her features. "Looks can be deceiving, Kakashi. My whole life has been a sham. I only acted like I was fine. I learned from a young age to please other people. Throwing away my happiness for another's. Eventually, I learned to build barriers with feelings, only letting people see what I wanted to see and nothing more. That way, they wouldn't worry about me and I could go on pleasing people. It was the perfect plan."

Her lips drew into a frown and her brows knitted in irritation. "But I made a mistake. I made friends. At first, it was just another way for me to please other people, but then, they wanted to please me in return. When I found that out, I was…happy. For the first time in my life at that point, I felt truly happy and soon, I started to let more people in and my walls began to crack and that's probably when I stepped onto the path of self-destruction."

"…"

"You know, I've had thoughts of suicide since I was seven," she confessed. Her tone had now become hushed, pain mixing with her words like sugar in water. "That's…about 17 years now," she chuckled. "I never really meant it when I told my friends, but they would always become sad and tell me they'd miss me if I did and then I would smile and the subject would be dropped until the next time." Her eyes were distant once more as she spoke, as if she could see those memories being played out before her and he wondered just what they looked like.

"Everytime they said that, I was…happy. Someone would miss me when I was gone. Someone cared if I was gone or not. Someone…needed me. At the time, my family was so engrossed in my little brother, they could care less if I was there or not. Maybe that's where my need to please people came from. To show that I wasn't a burden and that I had some worth as a human. Selfish, I know, but those words meant a lot to me and I soon became dependent on those words and those people I called friends. They made me feel alive."

"…"

"…I should become an actor," she suddenly stated.

"Really? Why is that?" he asked and she smiled at him. "I'm great at acting."

He raised a brow skeptically and folded his arms over his chest. "Really?"

She turned to face him once more and looked at him sadly, her smile bittersweet. "I fooled you, didn't I?"

He had no response to that. Anything he would have said to that would have been a flat out lie and she would've seen through it as easily as he did. Instead, he asked a question. "So, why are you letting me know now?"

Megumi seemed pleased with his stoic tone. Had she expected him to judge her? The question his mind posed was quickly thrown aside in favor of her words as she traced the lip of the glass once more, her fingers trailing around the circular shape.

"Well, I don't have to be the crutch anymore. They all have others to help them and smile with them. I'm happy for them, but…it makes me sad at the same time. I don't have anyone like that. I don't have anyone to need or be needed by. It makes me wonder if my life is worth anything anymore."

"…I—"

Megumi shook her head and smiled warmly at him, but her eyes were wistful as she spoke. "Don't worry. I'm past wanting to kill myself now. The thoughts are there, but they're more out of curiosity now than anything else. I've started to change. I'm starting to find worth in life, joy in the small things—I think I'm starting to enjoy living. Who knows? That façade I wear everyday might not be just a façade anymore."

"I'm glad, but you're wrong."

Only Kakashi could say something like that with a smile on his face. "Nani? she asked.

"There are still people who need you," he said seriously and she rested her chin on the backs of her hands. "Really, who?"

Kakashi shrugged as he poured more wine into both their glasses. "I don't know. People. Your friends, your family, the people who need to see you smile more than anything," he said placing the bottle back on the table.

"Who would that be?" she asked, intrigued by his words.

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't know, but they're out there. Maybe even under your nose, even," he mused, chuckling at that idea. That would be very interesting. The person you spent all your life looking for just happened to be under your nose the whole time.

She seemed to contemplate his words, her eyes looking up in thought. "Hm. Have you found yours yet?" she asked.

"No. Not yet, but that's why I'm on this dating service thing," he said smiling. She laughed, clutching her sides as the tears dotted the corners of her eyes shimmered in the candlelight. He wondered what was so funny. What he said or the way he said it. Replaying the sentence in his mind, he chuckled. He really didn't seem like the person to openly admit that he was into online dating.

He saw her slowly calm down, wiping the tears from her eyes as a smile painted her face and he found himself smiling wider. They stayed like that for a while; just sitting in the glow of the candlelight as soft music played in the background. She smiled to herself about something and looked up. "How?" she whispered.

"'How' what?" he asked.

"How can you be so understanding? Most people would have sent me to the loony bin or something after hearing me say all that, so why—?"

"Because I was the same way. Granted, I got out of it earlier than you, but you had more people relying on you, but you're getting better now. You just need to find someone who makes you want to live. Someone who changes your life for the better and makes you want to do the same for yourself. I had Naruto to thank for that change, being his foster parent and all that. You just need to find someone like that for you."

He reached across the table and held her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "Until you find that person, I can be a substitute. Cry on my shoulder, make me be the one to lend you their ear—I'll help you as much as I can until you find that person. All I need to know is that you're alright."

She bit her lip and slowly slid her hand out of his grasp and he had to wonder what he might have said to upset her when she held out her pinky to him. "Promise?" she asked shyly. He chuckled. She was just as much as an enigma she was all those years ago as she was now. He lifted his hand and extended his pinky towards hers. With a chuckle and a small smile, he linked his finger with hers. "Promise."

Their fingers separated and he rested his hands on the table as she rested hers in her lap. "Thanks," she said shyly.

Kakashi shook his head. "No problem. You'd do the same for me."

The edges of her lips quirked up. It seemed like it was the cross between a smirk and a smile. "Yeah, I would," she said, more to herself than anyone else. Raising her glass, she proposed a toast. "To us. May we find that person soon and still be friends," she smiled.

Kakashi smiled and raised his glass to hers. "To us."


	3. Ch 3: Where’s a Daisy When You Need It?

Well, last chapter was the one that finally develops Megumi's character. Something we've been waiting an entire fic for. I know, I know, I should've done it earlier, but whenever I tried, it made the story seem awkward, so I put it here and it fit. This chapter is just a filler to bridge to the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews.

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**Ch.3: Where's a Daisy When You Need It?**

A dull roar was heard over the stirring of coffee and the ring of the cash register as Ino chatted on and on about how much she hated Sai today. The girls simply rolled their eyes and went back to sipping their drinks.

They were at the small corner café called Sweet Delights a few blocks from the university. It was relatively cozy. Booths lined the window and tables were spread out across the floor. At the back of the café were the cash register, the coffee machines, and a glass case displaying their pastries.

Megumi looked around the café, listening to the music playing softly in the background as she sat lost in her thoughts.

'_Wonder why I told Kakashi all that stuff?'_

"Megumi-chan?"

_'I mean, sure, he's a great guy and I trust him with my life, but those things were supposed to be buried with me in my grave, six feet under or floating with me in my ashes.'_

"Megumi-chan."

_'Does this mean I still like him? I thought I got over it when I went to college, but he was so sweet last night and—and—no. Yes. No. Yes. No. Augh! I don't know anymore! Yes. No. No. Definitely NO!!!! Bad thoughts. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong,'_ she scolded herself. She was acting like the stereotypical lovesick teen. She thought she left that phase after she entered college, but apparently she loved making cameo appearances. But why now? She had gotten over Kakashi after she convinced herself it would never be able to work out; even if there was a remote chance he did return her feelings, so why were these thoughts coming back? Did she really still love him?

_'No. I got over it. No more butterfly fluff feelings around him, so I'm over him and that's final. Now to get my mind off him. Think other thoughts. Think….um…um…cats. Nice kittens in baskets with balloons. Um…rock guitars. James Marsters. Jello! Pirates! Eyepatches! Kakashi. Kakashi without his mask. Kakashi without his—Ahhh! No! No! No!'_

Just then, her head collided with the tabletop and she moaned in pain and looked up to see Temari rolling her eyes as the other blonde girl smirked triumphantly.

"Ino! Why the hell did you do that?!" she yelled rubbing her forehead, no doubt in her mind that a lump would appear soon.

"Well, I wouldn't have had to if you paid attention to me when I was screaming your name," she shot back.

"Fine. What do you want?" Megumi grumbled.

Ino's eyes became sparkly. "How did the date go? Who was it? Was he really the guy for you? I mean, from the profile, it seemed like you guys were made for each other, so who was it? Was he older? Of course he was older, it said his age on the profile. Was he hot? What'd he look like? How far did you get? Are you head-over-heels for this guy? Tell me, dammit!"

Megumi simply looked at the girl before putting a cookie in her mouth. "Apparently, Kakashi is my perfect match," she said sipping her water. The girls nodded before they froze and the café was filled with sounds of coughing.

"What?!"

Megumi rolled her eyes. _'Sorta glad that I didn't tell them I had a crush on him in high school if this is how they're acting when we had a date.'_

Tenten patted Hinata's back as the girl coughed and she looked up. "What are you going to do now, Megumi?" she asked.

"Right now, I'm going to push back my chair and leave," she said pushing her chair back.

"You know what she meant," Ino snapped. Megumi just shrugged.

"Well, I have no idea what I'm going do." The girls nodded and pushed in their chairs as they placed a tip on the table and walked out the door.

Megumi let the door slid past her fingers and looked around as the girls chatted ahead of her. She looked towards the café and spotted a boy inside carrying a tray with dirty dishes as he placed the tip in the pocket of his green apron. He was tall and had scarlet hair. From where she stood, she could just make out his eyes. Burnt umber.

'_He's cute.'_

But that was just a passing thought.


	4. Chapter 4: The Call

I think this fic will only be about twelve chapters. That's about 1/4 of the original RSR (aren't you happy?). Well, part of this chapter is pretty emo and it has Fruits Basket in it!! Squee!! R&R please.

Songs: Avril Lavigne- In My World

* * *

**Ch.4: The Call**

Dull chatter could be heard in the small street-corner café. School had already begun for the year and the murmured sounds of studying and the clacking of computer keyboards could be heard in lieu of the mixed conversations and the coffee machine behind the counter, but above all was the loud ranting of a familiar blonde.

"—and you know what else he said? He said I was self-centered! Can you believe it? Me? Self-centered!"

Temari, Sakura, Hinata, Tenten, and Megumi rolled their eyes. _'Imagine that,'_ they thought together.

Now, it wasn't that they hated Ino, but whenever they had get-togethers, Ino would immediately jump into telling everyone her status with Sai. This would last for about half an hour to an hour before she'd allow someone else to talk before jumping in again after hearing something about a boyfriend that would remind her of something Sai did. Then again, Ino had starting dating in her off-stage of her relationship with Sai, so at least they had something else to listen to besides Sai's inability to understand what Ino meant when she said it was her 'time of the month.'

Sakura absentmindedly stirred her cappuccino as Ino began talking about the cute guy she snagged at the club last night. Really, there was only so much a girl could take before she started to drift off.

"You listening to me, forehead?"

"Yes, Ino," she replied to her angered friend. The reply seemed to placate Ino because she went after Hinata next. Really, she and Sai needed to get this kind of stuff straightened out before she did it for them.

'_The girls are probably thinking the same thing.'_

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a person approach their table. "Umm…"

"What?!" Ino snapped, slamming her fist into the table. The drinks leapt from the wooden top and Megumi's glass tipped into her lap.

'_Thank god it's just water,'_ she thought wiping the stain on her pants.

Hinata smiled pleasantly. "Please ignore Ino-chan. She's not in a good mood. Can we help yo—Ikeda-san!"

The girl smiled. "Please, call me Chieko."

Hinata nodded and Temari rested her chin on her propped up arm. "Wanna sit? We got plenty of room."

"Sure," she smiled and scootched in beside Hinata. Hinata smiled. "How are things with Shino-kun?"

Chieko's expression darkened. "I hate him."

"He isn't that bad," Tenten said stirring her lemonade.

"Really?" she drawled skeptically.

"Yeah. He was just in a foul mood. He really hates this engagement," Sakura quipped.

"Well, it's no picnic for me either," she sulked.

"Just give him a chance, Chieko-chan. He's a really great guy," Hinata smiled.

"Hn."

"Besides, he's really awkward around girls," Ino smiled slyly. This got her attention. Chieko smiled darkly. "Tell me more."

"Well, the girls and I were going to the mall with the guys—you know, the ones you saw under the tree with Shino—anyway, we were going to the mall and I wanted to go to this store, right? You remember this, right, Megumi? Megumi? Megumi? Dammit, what the heck are you staring at?"

Tenten smirked. "It's not a 'what', but a 'who.'"

"A 'who?'"

"A 'who,'" Tenten affirmed and Ino's eyes lit up. "Sakura, fill Chieko in. Who is it? Who is it, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi blushed. "It isn't anyone."

"Liar. It's that cute red-head who's at the counter."

Megumi glared at Tenten. "Don't you have a boyfriend?"

"Yeah, but I'm just saying a guy is cute. It's not like Neji's going to get mad at me for saying another guy looks good."

"Right…"

Ino peered over the heads at the line and blinked. "Hey, I know him."

The girls turned to look at Ino curiously. "You do?"

Ino nodded. "Yup. He's my cousin."

"What?!" they screamed.

"Yup. I can set you up with him if you want, Megumi-chan."

Megumi's face paled. "No, Ino. Wait. I never said—" But it was too late.

"Sasori!" Ino waved.

"Ino. Don't. Really. You don't have to—"

"Ino?" the red-head asked, looking down quizzically at the blonde girl. "What are you doing here?"

"I go to school here, remember? Sasori no baka," she sulked.

"Whatever," the boy said. "So what did you call me over for?"

"I wanted you to meet my friends. Plus, one of them wanted to meet you really badly." The faint sound of a snort could be heard in the background.

"The girl with the buns on her head is Tenten. The one with pink hair is forehead-girl."

"Better than being a pig," Sakura interjected.

Ignoring the comment, Ino pressed on. "The girl with white eyes is Hinata-chan. The one with blue eyes is Chieko. The one with brown eyes and black hair is Megumi-chan and the one with the blonde ponytails is Temari."

Sasori nodded, but blinked and turned back to Temari. "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

Temari snorted. "No shit, dumbass. You were the neighborhood jackass that picked on my little brother."

Sasori stared at the bold girl in shock while Megumi blinked. "You picked on Gaara?"

Sasori tapped his finger on the table. "That name sounds familiar. Red hair, turquoise eyes?"

"Yeah. You used to shove him in the concrete when we were kids," Temari glared.

"And you were that little girl who always told me off."

"Damn straight," she retorted.

"Well, sorry about that. I was a jerk when I was a kid. Tell him I'm sorry. Where is he, anyway?"

"Germany. He's going to college there," Megumi answered. Sasori nodded and Ino smiled. "Ne, Sasori, I want you to meet the girl who wanted to meet you. Sasori, Megumi-chan, lead singer of FFG and your next girlfriend."

"Ino! Shut up!" Megumi screamed as she blushed furiously. Did Ino really have to broadcast that? Megumi sighed. She should have never looked at him. Turning to smile at him, she extended her hand. "Hi."

Sasori smiled and took her hand, kissing the back of her fingers. "Hey."

As the girls screamed and Megumi flushed hotly, Temari reclined in her seat at the booth and regarded the man in front of her.

'_I wonder if he's changed at all.'_

Megumi walked through the empty halls of the college. It was her study hour, but she didn't feel like studying just yet. Slinging her bag over her shoulder and grabbing her guitar, she set out for a quiet place just outside under the shade of a tree. Even though it was fall, the trees were still green and the day felt like June.

Smiling to herself, she set down her guitar and bag and sat in the grass. A breeze came and her hair blew, tickling her collarbone. Laughing quietly to herself, she pulled out her guitar and leaned back against the tree. Propping a leg up as she extended the other one, she tuned the guitar and began to play.

_Please tell me what is taking place,  
Cause I can't seem to find a trace,  
Guess it must've got erased somehow,  
Probably 'cause I always forget,  
Everytime someone tells me their name,  
It's always gotta be the same.  
(In my World)  
Never wore cover-up,  
Always beat the boys up,  
Grew up in a 5000 population town,  
Made my money by cutting grass,  
Got fired by fried chicken ass,  
All in a small town, Nappanee._

You know I always stay up without sleepin',  
And think to myself,  
Where do I belong forever,  
In whose arms, the time and place?

Can't help it if I space in a daze,  
My eyes tune out the other way,  
I may switch off and go in a daydream,  
In this head my thoughts are deep,  
But sometimes I can't even speak,  
Would someone be and not pretend? I'm off again in my World

I never spend less than an hour,  
Washin' my hair in the shower,  
It always takes 5 hours to make it straight,  
So I'll braid it in a zillion braids,  
Though it may take all friggen day,  
There's nothin' else better to do anyway.

When you're all alone in the lands of forever,  
Lay under the Milky Way,  
On and on it's getting too late out,  
I'm not in love this time this night.  
Can't help it if I space in a daze,  
My eyes tune out the other way,  
I may switch off and go in a daydream,  
In this head my thoughts are deep,  
But sometimes I can't even speak,  
Would someone be and not pretend? I'm off again in my World

(la la la la)

Take some time,  
Mellow out,  
Party up,  
But don't fall down,  
Don't get caught,  
Sneak out of the house.

Can't help it if I space in a daze,  
My eyes tune out the other way,  
I may switch off and go in a daydream,  
In this head my thoughts are deep,  
But sometimes I can't even speak,  
Would someone be and not pretend? I'm off again in my World

__

Can't help it if I space in a daze,  
My eyes tune out the other way,  
I may switch off and go in a daydream,  
In this head my thoughts are deep,  
But sometimes I can't even speak,  
Would someone be and not pretend? I'm off again in my World

"That was good."

Megumi gasped and whipped her head back to see a familiar red-head. "Sasori…" She hadn't seen him in weeks, not since she was first introduced to him by Ino. She could feel a blush creep into her face. She still couldn't believe he kissed her hand.

Sasori sat in the grass beside her. He was wearing a pair of black leather pants, black boots, a white T-shirt, and a silver dog tag hung around his neck. "So, how do you think of songs like that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. They just happen. Guess it depends on my mood. I wrote this during summer break."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Ne, Sasori-san, do you...go to school here?"

The red-headed man blinked. "Yeah, you never knew?"

"No!" she screamed, quickly slapping her hands over her mouth. She blushed. "That was embarrassing."

He just chuckled. "So, you go to school here? What are you majoring in?"

"Well…"

Above the two, a person watched in a window. They smiled. _'Nice job, Megumi. I hope you will be happy.'_

The person backed away from the window, their reflection in the glass. Lee smiled to himself. One of his best friends was finding love, his other best friends had found it, but he had to wonder, _where did that leave him?_

As he sighed and stepped into the hall, he felt something bump into him and the sound of papers fluttering to the ground reached his ears. He looked down to see a girl scrambling for her papers. Strange; he didn't hear anything in the hall, so when did she get here? Watching her rush to get her papers, he reached down to hand her back some. "Here."

She looked up, startled. She had disheveled raven hair (probably from the collision), and her glasses were askew, but behind them were shimmering emerald eyes. She looked at him blankly before noticing the papers in front of her. "O-o-oh. T-t-thank y-y-you," she said. She hastily took them from her and stood up, wincing as they fell from her arms once more. Watching the man pick them up, she hastily dropped down beside him to help. "I'm sorry about causing so much trouble," she apologized.

"It's no trouble," he replied helping her with the papers. Straightening them out on the window sill, he turned to her and smiled. "Done."

She nodded. "T-t-thank y-y-you, um…"

"Lee. Rock Lee," he said smiling awkwardly. He didn't do the power of youth pose anymore. He'd calmed down a lot since high school. (Plus, too many people kept staring and pointing at him.) He only did it in the summer when school was out and he could afford to relax a little. Realizing he didn't know her name, he asked her for it.

"Yamamoto Shiori," she replied adjusting her glasses.

"Alright Shiori-san, for accidentally bumping into you in the halls, let me walk you to class. Besides, I think you might need some help with those papers."

She blushed and fidgeted with the books in her arms. "Alright…" she said quietly and he smiled before picking up the stack of papers and walking with her in the halls.

* * *

Megumi lay in her bed. It was mid-afternoon and the sky was a dark grey. She was alone in her dorm room (Temari was on a date with Shikamaru) and she watched the clock on their wall tick as the setting sun caused the shadows to move. Leaning over to turn on the small lamp on her bedside table, she shifted in her pillows to catch up on Fruits Basket.

As she flipped through the pages, she sighed and held the manga in her hand. It was volume sixteen; possibly her favorite volume of the whole series because it reminded her…of her.

Kyoko reminded her of herself when she was a preteen. She had so much anger inside her, at her mother, her father, her paternal grandmother, her school—life in general—that it festered, just waiting for the smallest thing to set it off. She, however, couldn't release it like Kyoko did.

Megumi stared at her hands as she thought back on her life. Her hair was short all the time and there weren't any real gangs in a San Francisco suburb. Besides, she lived in constant fear of her father's moods. Whenever he was mad, he'd verbally lash out on whoever was available, usually her. Though she came from a picture-perfect broken home, she didn't have Kyoko's fire.

Megumi flipped through the manga, her fingers tracing a specific page.

"_For a time, I also misunderstood. I thought everyone around me was utter trash..."_

Just when was it that life seemed to lose its meaning? Did it mean anything to her to begin with? When was it that the day seemed darker than the night? That the days lost their color? When did her sky become permanently grey?

"…_but I couldn't be so painfully honest and cry. I __**can't**__ cry."_

She hated it. She hated the fact she couldn't cry. All the tears shed in her childhood were just of frustration. Why couldn't this work? Why couldn't she get the recognition she deserved? Why couldn't she be loved? Why did everything have no meaning?

…But she couldn't tell herself that. How could you expect an 8-yr-old to tell themselves that? No, even she wasn't jaded enough to tell herself that. Or at least, not at the time.

Megumi closed the manga and slid it onto her bed. She stared up at the ceiling and looked at the backs of her hands. They had so many scars. So many things that held a moment of her past. How scarred was her soul? Was it like her hands or were the wounds slowly healing? After all, middle school had changed her. She began finding value in life, in the small things. A smile, a good day, a night of sleep, the night sky, good friends. High school had done her even better. The darkness seemed to be receding, but she couldn't remember how so much had receded.

Megumi flopped onto her stomach. What had changed since middle school?

Flopping onto her back once again she stared up at her ceiling.

And just what had made her open up to people so easily? She had basically poured her guts out to Kakashi and he'd accepted it. She even found herself talking to her mother after all these years. What had made her want to change so readily? She thought back on the night. _'Maybe…'_

But the phone rang and she rolled onto her side to grab the phone. "Y'ello."

"_Hi Megumi."_

Her brows rocketed to her hairline. "Sasori?" she asked. It was weird hearing from him again. It had been weeks since they exchanged phone numbers or even talked. The last time that happened was when he caught her singing. "Whassup?"

"_I wanted to ask if you wanted to see a movie with me."_

"A movie?"

"_Yeah. You know, those things that use a reel of film and a large screen and stereotypically include popcorn."_

"Yeah, sorta knew that. What movie?"

"_I don't know. Maybe something horror or foreign."_

"Oh."

"_Good 'oh' or bad 'oh'?"_

"Surprised 'oh.'"

"_Sounded more disappointed than anything."_

"Well, bit freaked about horror flicks, but I love foreign films."

"_So…wanna go?"_

"…sure."

"_Great. Sunday at 8 okay?"_

"Sure."

"_See you then."_

The phone on the other line clicked and she placed the phone onto the receiver before staring at the ceiling wondering, _'Did that just happen?'_

* * *

"You what?!"

Megumi winced at Ino's loud tone. God, her voice could carry.

"Sasori asked me to go to the movies with him tomorrow," she said calmly as stunned faces sat around her. They were at the FFG mansion. It was Thanksgiving break and surprisingly, the college celebrated Thanksgiving, so when they were given this free time, what else could they want more than to go home. Plus, apparently Kiku missed the girls too much.

As Kiku purred happily under the familiar touch of Hinata's hand, everyone else was in some state of shock. Sakura, Tenten, and Ino gaped openly, Naruto and Hinata stopped what they were doing, and Sasuke, Neji, Shikamaru, and Kakashi had their eyes nearly popping from their sockets. If not for the strange silence, Megumi would have thought it funny.

"Guys…"

The group shook their heads to clear the shock from their systems before turning to face the girl. Ino grinned. "Hell yeah, I'm going to be related to a celebrity!" she shouted.

Megumi blanched. "Don't you think you're getting ahead of yourself, Ino?"

"And your babies will be so cute and I'll be their hot aunt and…"

"And she's off, ladies and gentlemen," Temari remarked as Ino chatted at a mile a minute. How Ino managed to get from Megumi's date to her own grandchildren was something she'd never know. Then again, she wouldn't want to. Turning to her cousin, she asked, "So, when did the two of you get together?"

Everyone hung onto the edge of their seats for her reply.

"Um…we're not dating."

"You're married?" Tenten asked.

"No."

"Eloping?" Hinata asked.

"No."

"Engaged?" Sakura asked.

"No. We're just friends," she said through gritted teeth.

"Friends with benefits?"

"No! Just friends. Jeez, Ino! Did you listen at all during those rants I gave about wanting to save my virtue until I'm ready?"

Ino blinked. "You were serious?"

Megumi had to refrain from smashing her head into the coffee table. As much as it sounded appealing at the moment, she'd have to deal with the repercussions of having glass shards embedded in her forehead.

"Yes."

"So, you're sure you're just friends, right?" Sasuke asked.

"As far as I know," Megumi replied.

"As far as you know?" Neji asked sounding slightly concerned.

"Unless he managed to fall head-over-heels for me in the three times we've talked, I'm fairly certain we're just friends." Honestly, what ever happened to the idea that a guy and a girl could be in a completely platonic relationship?

"Still…" Naruto said.

"I'm sure. If he does end up showing up with candy and flowers when I go to the theater, I will forfeit all bragging rights to you. Scout's honor."

"But you're not a scout."

Megumi winked. "I know, but I always wanted to say that. Besides, I think I'd look pretty damn good in a scout outfit," she said sticking out her tongue.

As Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the reply to his response, Kakashi laced his fingers together and rested his chin on the backs of them. "I don't know if I particularly trust this 'Sasori' fellow. What if something happens?"

Megumi pouted. "I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl," she said folding her arms over her chest.

"Still…" he said and she rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll call you as soon as I get back to the dorm."

"Promise?"

"Hai."

And with a reluctant nod, Kakashi agreed. Megumi smiled and they gave murmured agreements before moving onto a new subject; the stars twinkling above them.

* * *

Kakashi paced by his phone as Kiku slept at the foot of his bed. It was already 11 o' clock at night.

'_When is she going to call? Maybe something happened. Maybe I should go look for her. Wait, she didn't give me the theater name. Dammit. How hard is it to call a person and why am I worrying like a mother hen?'_

Sighing, he raked his hand through his silver hair and looked down at Kiku who was now awake and staring curiously at the pacing man. "This is all your fault," he said glaring at Kiku. Kiku narrowed her gaze, daring him to say that again and he sighed and held his hands up in apology. He shouldn't blame Kiku for his slipping sanity, but he was spending way too much time with the cat and she was the only living organism besides himself he could blame.

'_Maybe—'_

Ring. Ring.

Kakashi dove for the phone and fumbled with it in his hands. Clearing his throat, he pretended that he just woke up. "Hello?" he asked drowsily.

"Oh, sorry, did I wake you?"

"Yes, but don't worry about it, Megumi-chan. So you're safely at the dorm?"

"Yup, Sasori walked me there just to make sure."

Kakashi smiled, relieved that she got back safe, but felt a slight twinge in his gut. Chalking it up as too much coffee in the teacher's lounge, he ignored it. "That's good to hear. So, how was the movie?"

"Two whole hours of cinematic genius! They shot it in black and white and the acting was wonderful."

Kakashi blinked. "Wait, two hours? I thought you were gone for three hours."

"I was. We spent forty-five minutes talking. I can't believe how much we have in common! He's so cool. I should have the two of you meet sometime." Kakashi faked a yawn and he heard the concern in her voice. "Am I keeping you up?"

"What? No. No."

"Yes, I am. Stop lying to me. Go to sleep, Kakashi," she said sternly.

"Alright," he said. Besides, he was getting really tired now. He stopped faking the sleep in his voice five minutes ago. "Goodnight Megumi."

"Night, Kakashi."

She hung up and he returned the phone to its rightful place before slipping between the covers and falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 5: I Was Made For You

Well, another day another chapter. I'm starting to combine planned chapters so you have more to read. I'm doing that to all my stories (i.e. Fix You and my other OC story, Fated). Tell me what you think.

Songs- Forever Love (Digame) by Anna Nalick (love this song), The Story by Brandi Carlile (love this song too).

* * *

**Ch.5: I Was Made For You**

It was fall still, the end of November to be exact. Leaves crunched underfoot as people walked about the city of Konoha. On a street corner, a pink-haired girl smiled up at her brooding boyfriend.

"Cheer up, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said as she looked up at him.

The brooding male scowled. "Easy for you to say," he muttered angrily as he tried in vain to ignore the ever-increasing high-pitched shrill squeals of 'Sasuke-kun!' around him. Sasuke sulked, folding his arms over his chest as he huffed. He'd been dating Sakura for roughly eight and a half years. Why couldn't those stupid fangirls just leave him alone? He was taken! Not single, off the market, had a _girlfriend!_ How hard was it to understand that?

"Apparently very hard," he snorted.

"What was that, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked turning back to see her boyfriend flush slightly. "Nothing," he murmured.

Sakura tugged on his sleeve and looked at him with her clear eyes. He sighed and smiled softly at her. "Nothing," he told her, brushing away a stray lock of bubblegum hair, the tender moment broken by the collective squeals of 'Sasuke-kun!' across the street. Sasuke sighed and let his forehead drop onto Sakura's shoulder. "How do you do it?" he asked tiredly.

"Do what?" she asked.

Sasuke lifted up a finger and pointed behind him, wincing as the group of girls squealed even louder. "Survive that."

Sakura blinked and looked down at him. "Oh, that's easy, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke looked up confusedly. "Easy?"

"Yeah, it's easy."

Sasuke quickly leapt up to full height. "How?!" he screamed.

Sakura blinked innocently. "I just do the same thing you do to my fanboys."

Sasuke stared incredulously at his girlfriend who did nothing to hide her mirth at his expense. He could've fallen over at her answer. His soul might have flown out of his body if he was in an anime, but he settled to drop his head on her shoulder and sigh heavily.

Sakura chuckled and looked at him sympathetically before hugging him. She smiled softly at her boyfriend and looked up at the group of drooling women across the street before mustering up her deadliest evil glare. The fangirls paled, a cold sweat on their bodies before hightailing it down the street, stopping halfway across town when they thought it safe to. Sakura smiled in satisfaction before looking down at her Sasuke-kun. "They're gone."

Sasuke looked up in surprise before looking over his shoulder to see an empty area on the opposite sidewalk before turning his shocked face to Sakura. She giggled and his face relaxed and he tipped her face up and kissed her. "I knew I loved you for something," he murmured against her lips.

Sakura pouted. "Mou, Sasuke-kun."

* * *

It was dark out. Stars dotted the night sky as a car drove under the lit streetlights. A lone figure walked down the dark sidewalk, one hand in his pocket as the other hand held a small sheet of paper_. '1052. 1052. Where is it?' _Just then, he heard a voice.

"Kakashi!"

Kakashi looked up to see a pink-haired girl under a covered overhang. "Ohayo."

Sakura laughed. "Kakashi, did you wake up late? It's nighttime already."

"Ah. Well you see, I was walking down the street when—"

"You can stop now." She walked over and grabbed his hand. "Come on, we've been waiting for you."

Kakashi nodded and let Sakura lead him inside the building called Delilah. It was a small club. Not in the traditional sense of booze and ear-shattering techno and dance music. If anything, it was more like a poetry café. According to Temari, they even had a poetry night on Thursdays. The club was run by the widowed bartender. (His wife's name was the club name). Unlike the other clubs, his was a small place for coffee, alcohol, and entertainment. It had a very relaxed atmosphere and though his crowd was small, they were loyal and he had a steady stream of business.

Inside the brick building were beige-painted walls, made warm by the dim lighting that hung from the ceiling and across from the small stage was the dark-colored wooden counter of the bar. There were roughly seven barstools right at the bar, six cushioned booths, and the rest of the floor was covered in tables and chairs.

"Hey sensei!"

Kakashi looked up to see the enthusiastic blonde waving at him and smiled. "Naruto," he said walking over to the booth next to the bar. He shook his head as Naruto grinned foxily up at him. "I haven't been your teacher in years. Just call me Kakashi."

"Actually, he's supposed to call you dad," Shikamaru pointed out.

"Well, he made me stop after a while. The only reason you won't let me call you 'sensei' or 'dad' is because it makes you feel old," Naruto said accusingly. Kakashi just laughed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Guilty as charged."

Sakura shook her head. "You're not that old. Orochimaru-san. That's old."

The table nodded in agreement before Megumi remembered something. "You forgot to say hi to everyone else."

"Oh. Hi Sasuke, Sakura, Hinata, Temari, Shikamaru, Neji, Tenten, Megumi," he said smiling as his old students returned his greeting.

"You forgot Megumi's boyfriend," interjected Temari.

"Oh yes. How forgetful of me." Kakashi smiled. "Hello Sasori-san." Sasori nodded in reply. Even if the soft-spoken male had greeted him verbally, it would've been lost in the music of the rock band playing onstage.

Kakashi smiled and sat on an empty barstool near their booth. "So, how long have you two been dating?" Ugh, even as he spoke, the bitter taste of the word was left lingering in his mouth. Then again, the word 'dating' was a lot easier to swallow than the word 'boyfriend'.

When Megumi had first called him around midnight all those weeks ago, he thought she was in trouble, but when she started talking about how Sasori had suddenly asked her to become his girlfriend, he relaxed a bit, but he still felt troubled. He was glad it wasn't an emergency, but he wasn't exactly relieved when she said boyfriend, though that wasn't the only thing that had him floored. Apparently, he was the first person she told. That confused him. When did he become her confidant? But he heard her voice and decided to listen.

"Kakashi, sit with us," Megumi smiled. "Then again, if I scoot over, I'll end up in Sasori's lap," she chuckled.

"I wouldn't mind," her boyfriend said, already moving his blushing girlfriend into his lap when Kakashi held up his hand. "It's alright. I'm fine where I am."

Sasori frowned and let his girlfriend squirm out of his lap. If Megumi didn't have a valid reason to do something, she wouldn't do it and he didn't want to force her into something that would end up in a misstep in their relationship. Though Kakashi wasn't paying attention, Sasori was sure he noticed the dirty looks he was sending him.

"And now, will all the couples please report to the dance floor?"

As couples filed onto the now-open floor, Kakashi turned his head to see Megumi and Sasori still in their seats. "You're not dancing?" he asked.

"Sasori doesn't dance. Says he's too cool. I think he just can't."

Sasori snorted and Kakashi gave her a happy eye crease. "That's too bad. You really know how to cut a rug," he said and Megumi smiled before saying something about powdering her nose. Really, why did women say that when everyone knew they meant they were going to the bathroom?

"You two talk while I'm gone, okay?"

The two of them watched her go before turning to each other. "You coming over here or am I going over there?" Kakashi asked. Sasori just grunted and walked over to the barstool to Kakashi's left.

Getting settled in, he turned to the older man and asked. "So how long have you known her?"

"Since she was in my class for 11th grade. You?"

"Since Ino introduced her to me."

"Hn. So are you taking care of her?"

"Yes."

"I demand contacts and criminal records."

"Aren't you overreacting a bit?"

"I don't think so."

"Are you sure you're not her father?"

"No, I'm her ex-teacher, but I can see how you could've been mistaken."

As Sasori glared at the man smiling cheerfully (and mockingly) at him, Megumi reappeared beside them. "So, how was talking to each other?"

"Hn."

"Your father is as pleasant as House without vicodin."

Megumi smiled. "I think he took that as a compliment."

"Even better that he referred to a show that I actually like," Kakashi smiled. Sasori just grunted and folded his arms over his chest and Megumi just giggled and kissed his cheek. "Well, got a little surprise for you," she said to Sasori.

"Really?" he asked, intrigued.

"Yup," she smiled before disappearing into the dancing crowd.

Kakashi and Sasori turned to each other when Kakashi spoke. "You look a lot like someone I know."

"Yeah. Got a haircut. Temari said I look like Gaara now."

"Hn."

Just then, the crowd started cheering louder than before and the two looked up to see Megumi standing on the stage with a mic in her hand. "Hi. As Kyo—"

"Kyo?"

"The club owner," explained Sasori.

"Aa."

"—anyway, after much pleading and begging and those disgustingly cute puppy dog pouts, I'm going to be singing here for you," Megumi giggled. "Don't worry, I won't sing some sappy crud; it's going to be love-related, but—just forget it. I'll just sing it."

She turned to the band that was just playing and smiled at them, glad that they had let her play with them. They were really fun guys, the practices were a blast, but that was beside the point. Going over a mental checklist of the instruments, she gripped her guitar and let out a breath as Toru, the keyboard player began the song.

_On the ground  
with my world  
Upside down  
I got a vision of your face  
And I must get me out  
For so many memories we've yet to make  
God don't send to me your angels  
I just wanna hear you say again_

Forever love  
Say it love  
Digame, Digame  
Tell me so  
I can hold you in my soul  
If I go  
I'll know

When you smile  
With those eyes  
Baby it's like  
You place a finger on my heart  
And your lips next to mine  
Make me think that maybe heavens where you are  
God don't send to me your angels  
I just wanna hear you say again

Forever love  
Say it love  
Digame, Digame  
Tell me so  
I can hold you in my soul  
And if I go  
I'll know

La la la la…

__

Forever love  
Say it love  
Digame, Digame  
Tell me so  
I can hold you in my soul  
And If I go  
I'll know  
Forever love  
Say it love  
Digame, Digame  
Tell me so  
I can hold you in my soul  
And if I go  
I'll know

Megumi bowed slightly to the applauding audience and heard Toru give a shout out before giggling. "Okay, well I have one more song for the night before I go back to my table. It's for my special someone. I'm not saying who because I'm afraid something might happen to him afterwards" –the audience laughed— "Anyway, the song is called The Story and I hope you enjoy it."

_All of these lines across my face  
Tell you the story of who I am  
So many stories of where I've been  
And how I got to where I am  
But these stories don't mean anything  
When you've got no one to tell them to  
It's true...I was made for you_

_I climbed across the mountain tops  
Swam all across the ocean blue  
I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules  
But baby I broke them all for you  
Oh, because even when I was flat broke  
You made me feel like a million bucks  
You do _

_and I was made for you_

Naruto smiled as he held Hinata in his arms and looked her over. She was really beautiful tonight in her white skirt and lavender top, but then again, she looked beautiful no matter what she wore. He pressed his lips to the top of her head. She looked up. "What was that for, Naruto?"

He smiled. "Just wanted to." She flushed prettily and he chuckled before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.

_You see the smile that's on my mouth  
It's hiding the words that don't come out  
And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed  
They don't know my head is a mess  
No, they don't know who I really am  
And they don't know what I've been through like you do  
And I was made for you..._

_All of these lines across my face  
Tell you the story of who I am  
So many stories of where I've been  
And how I got to where I am  
Oh, but these stories don't mean anything  
When you've got no one to tell them to  
It's true..._

_I was made for you_

_Oh oh, it's true..._

_That I was made for you…_

The song ended and Megumi looked out to the two smiling men at the bar and she smiled back, but she was confused. When she first started to sing, she knew just who the song was for, but at the end of the song, she wasn't sure of who she was singing about anymore.


	6. Chapter 6: Winter with a Sweet Tooth

Summer in the city means cleavage, cleavage, cleavage. That's a line from a Regina Spektor song, but for me, it means tons of fanfics (yes, I have no life. High school robbed me of that.) Anyway, chapter 6 coming at you.

Note: Obviously this was prewritten.

Songs- Our Lawyer Made Us Change The Name Of This Song So We Wouldn't Get Sued by Fall Out Boy, Mr. Brightside by The Killers, Through the Glass by Stone Sour, and Candyman by Christina Aguilera (male accompaniment is not underlined but with the recent reworking of the document editors, don't even bother).

--

**Ch.6: Winter with a Sweet Tooth**

_Brothers and sisters put this record down  
Take my advice ('cause we are bad news)  
We will leave you high and dry  
It's not worth the hearing you'll lose_

It's just past 8 and I'm feeling young and reckless  
The ribbon on my wrist says, "Do not open before Christmas."

We're only liars, but we're the best (we're the best)  
We're only good for the latest trend  
We're only good cause you can have almost famous friends  
Besides, we've got such good fashion sense

Brothers and sisters, yeah, put these words down  
Into your notebook (spit lines like these)  
We're friends when you're on your knees  
Make them dance like we were shooting their feet

It's just past 8 and I'm feeling young and reckless  
The ribbon on my wrist says, "Do not open before Christmas."

We're only liars, but we're the best (we're the best)  
We're only good for the latest trend  
We're only good cause you can have almost famous friends  
Besides, we've got such good fashion sense

We're only liars, but we're the best  
We're only good for the latest trend

__

We're only liars, but we're the best  
We're only good for the latest trend  
We're only good cause you can have almost famous friends  
Besides, we've got such good fashion sense

The crowd cheered as a figure onstage panted into the microphone, his arm raised in the air. He slowly lowered it and slicked back the silver hair that blocked his vision before jumping into the next song.

_Coming out of my cage  
And I've been doin' just fine  
Gotta gotta be down  
Because I want it all  
It started out with a kiss  
How did it end up like this?  
It was only a kiss  
It was only a kiss_

Now I'm falling asleep  
And she's calling a cab  
While he's having a smoke  
And she's taking a drag

Now they're going to bed  
And my stomach is sick  
And it's all in my head  
But she's touching his chest now  
He takes off her dress now  
Let me go

And I just can't look  
It's killing me  
And taking control

Jealousy  
Turning saints into the sea  
Swimming through sick lullabies  
Choking on your alibis  
But it's just the price I pay  
Destiny is calling me  
Open up my eager eyes  
'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside

I'm coming out of my cage  
And I've been doin' just fine  
Gotta gotta be down  
Because I want it all  
It started out with a kiss  
How did it end up like this?  
It was only a kiss  
It was only a kiss

Now I'm falling asleep  
And she's calling a cab  
While he's having a smoke  
And she's taking a drag

Now they're going to bed  
And my stomach is sick  
And it's all in my head  
But she's touching his chest now  
He takes off her dress now  
Let me go

'Cause I just can't look  
It's killing me  
And taking control

Jealousy  
Turning saints into the sea  
Swimming through sick lullabies  
Choking on your alibis  
But it's just the price I pay  
Destiny is calling me  
Open up my eagle eyes  
'Cause I'm Mr. Brightside

__

I never  
I never  
I never  
I never

The band walked backstage and the lead singer went to grab his water bottle when the drummer came up behind him. "Jeez, Kakashi, you nearly beat the shit out of your bass. What crawled up your ass?"

Kakashi glared at Naruto before downing part of the bottle and slamming it back on the table. "Come on, we have to finish the show," he said walking back onstage. Sasuke followed and stepped out beside him. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry about me, Sasuke."

"You sure? You've been pretty aggravated these past few days."

"…"

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No."

Sasuke sighed and gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Just don't crap out onstage."

With a grunt in response, Kakashi turned to the audience. "This song…wow, never knew it would be this hard," he laughed. "This song…it was from my old band, Yellow Flash. We hit it big. _Really big_, but they're all gone. I'm the only one left of the band. The anniversary of their death is coming up and I wanted to do something special for them, so here it is. I hope you guys like it."

_I'm looking at you through the glass...  
Don't know how much time has passed  
Oh god it feels like forever  
But no one ever tells you that forever  
Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head_

How do you feel? That is the question  
But I forget... you don't expect and easy answer  
When something like a soul becomes  
Initialized and folded up like paper dolls and little notes  
You cant expect to bitter folks  
And while your outside looking in  
Describing what you see  
Remember what your staring at is me

Cause I'm looking at you through the glass...  
Don't know how much time has passed  
All I know is that it feels like forever  
When no one ever tells you that forever  
Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

How much is real? So much to question  
And never dare make up the mannequins  
Contaminating everything  
When thought came from the heart  
It never did right from the start  
Just listen to the noises  
(No more sad voices)  
Before you tell yourself  
Its just a different scene  
Remember its just different from what you've seen

I'm looking at you through the glass...  
Don't know how much time has passed  
And all I know is that it feels like forever  
When no one ever tells you that forever  
Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

Cause I'm looking at you through the glass...  
Don't know how much time has passed  
All I know is that it feels like forever  
When no one ever tells you that forever  
Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

And its the staaars  
The staaaaaaars  
That shine for you  
And its the staaaaars  
The staaaaaars  
That lie to you.. yeah-ah

I'm looking at you through the glass...  
Don't know how much time has passed  
Oh god it feels like forever  
But no one ever tells you that forever  
Feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head

Cause I'm looking at you through the glass...  
Don't know how much time has passed  
All I know is that it feels like forever  
But no one ever tells you that forever  
feels like home, sitting all alone inside your heaaaaddd

And its the staaaars  
The staaaaars  
That shine for you... yeah-ah  
And its the staaaaars  
The staaaaaaars  
That lie to you.. yeah-ah

And its the staaaaars  
The staaaaaars  
That shine for you... yeah-ah  
And its the staaaars  
The staaaaarsss  
That lie to you.. yeah-ah yeah

__

Ohhhoh the staars  
Ohhh oh the staaaars that liieee

'_Are you guys watching? Rin? Obito? Arashi?'_ Kakashi wondered when he felt a sharp elbow in his side.

"Bow, idiot."

Kakashi snorted indignantly at Neji, but gave a short bow to the screaming fans. As he walked backstage, he set down his guitar.

"_Hey Kakashi."_

'_Obito?'_ Kakashi looked around, finding nothing. _'I'm imagining things. Thank god it's winter break,' _he thought when he noticed a faint flicker of light in front of him. Curious, he looked up to see a smiling girl, a smiling man, and a grinning teen. "Rin? Obito? Arashi?"

Obito grinned and made a thumbs-up. _"Great job, Kakashi. We're proud."_

"_We really are,"_ Arashi smiled. _"And I see my son's doing great."_

"_Well, duh, Arashi. This is Kakashi we're talking about,"_ Rin smiled.

Arashi looked at his watch. _"Oh, we gotta go, kids. Big guy said we only get five minutes."_

"_Oh crud, and I was having fun too. Well, come on, Rin."_

Rin smiled at Obito and kissed his cheek. _"Okay."_ She turned back to the stunned Kakashi. _"He's my boyfriend now. Don't worry, I forgive you for acting like a jerk all those years back, but I will say one thing."_

"What?" Kakashi asked.

"_I wish you well and I wish you many,"_ she smiled. Hugging Obito, she turned to him. _"Oh, and good luck with her."_

And as suddenly as they came, they left. Kakashi stared incredulously at the spot where they once stood. He wondered if it was just a trick of his mind, but a breeze appeared from inside the building and blew a small white feather into his hand. He blinked at the small object in his hand as Rin's giggle carried on the wind and he had to wonder just what she meant by 'good luck with her.'

* * *

"Ah, Neji, no!" Tenten squealed as he began tickling her stomach. Neji just smiled at her and ducked his head to kiss her when Sakura said, "No making-out on the couch. I don't want to have to lose a perfectly good couch on account of a heated make-out session."

Tenten flushed as Neji glared at the girl, but sighed and withdrew his hands from her waist. Sakura nodded in satisfaction before placing the tray of tea cups on the coffee table.

It was winter break. The day before Christmas to be exact. FFG and Sharingan were at FFG's mansion for a small Christmas party. The mansion was decorated in tinsel and mistletoe while a decorated tree sat in the corner near the window.

The group sat around the living room. Shikamaru was sleeping on the couch while Temari played with his hair, Neji and Tenten (now calm) had decided to just watch the fire in the fireplace together, Sasuke and Sakura were curled up besides each other, Sakura telling Sasuke about her gift-shopping as he listened intently with a small smile on his face, Kakashi was reading his latest Icha Icha novel, Megumi was fussing with the decorations on the tree, and Naruto…

"I'm going to get you, Hinata!" a man screamed, effectively startling Shikamaru from his slumber with an undignified snort and a muttering of 'troublesome.'

The blue-haired girl looked back in alarm. "Eek! Ah, Naruto!" she screamed as she ran into the kitchen, Naruto not far behind.

"I'm right behind you, Hinata!" he shouted as he held a long peacock feather in his hand, running exactly six feet behind her. Temari sweat-dropped.

"He went into my room?"

"Naruto!" Hinata screamed as he chased her into the kitchen. She hid under the island in the kitchen. _'Oh, why did I have to be ticklish?'_ she thought to herself. She should have never let him go upstairs. He wanted to look at all the rooms, but when he went into Temari's room and they got to talking, he got that mischievous look in his eyes and began chasing her with a peacock feather. Kami, why did she tell him she was ticklish?

She felt something on her shoulder. It was warm and slightly damp and it was doing something really funny with her insides. She turned around to see Naruto smile.

"Boo."

"Eep!" she screamed running past him. If she could just—There! The living room! Someone would stop him. Unfortunately, Naruto grabbed her by the waist and spun her around and she landed with a small 'oof' against his chest. "Hi Hinata-chan," he smiled.

"Naruto-kun," she said, blushing slightly at their proximity. He leaned closer and gently brushed the backs of his fingers against her long neck. She couldn't help the shudder that shot through her system. She didn't know if it was because of her ticklishness or the two of them being so close, but all she knew was that he was doing strange things to her insides and it felt really nice.

Naruto watched as Hinata's face suddenly flushed darker and smiled warmly at her. He stepped back to give her room. After all, he'd teased her too much and she had been a good sport. It never failed to surprise him how dedicated Hinata was to him and that thought made his heart thump just a little louder in his ears. When he looked, he blinked in surprise.

"Ne, Hinata-chan."

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"Look," he said pointing up. Just above their heads, hanging from a small string and a bow of ribbon, was a sprig of mistletoe. Hinata flushed and Naruto looked down at her. "Should we? We don't have to if you don't want to."

Hinata shook her head. "I don't want to break tradition," she said with a small smile and a laugh.

Naruto chuckled with her before letting his hands slowly wrap around her waist and felt her arms wrap around his neck. "I love you, Hinata," he told her before pressing his lips to hers gently.

They pulled back shortly after and Hinata rested her head on his heart. "I love you too, Naruto." Her boyfriend smiled at her and led her to the living room with his arm around her waist. They sat on the couch for a minute, staring into each other's eyes before they were interrupted by a small stream of curses.

Megumi huffed, glaring crossly at the tree as she held the star in her hands. Once again, life decided to have fun at her expense and at the thing she hated most. Her height.

"Stupid tree," she pouted. Really, this was a problem. How was she going to get that star on the tree if she couldn't reach the top?

"Need any help?"

Megumi turned around and almost dropped the star in her hands. "Well?" the person asked. Megumi nodded and gave him the star, watching him put it onto the top of the tree with ease.

"Spirit of the season?" she asked Kakashi.

Kakashi smiled. "No, after all those curses, I just wanted to save the tree."

"I wasn't going to do anything."

"You threatened to chop it down and burn it," he pointed it out, smiling happily as she blushed. "Shut up."

"I feel so hurt."

"Well, no one asked you to help and if I did end up burning the tree, we'd have mulch for the plants," she retorted, fingering the tinsel on the tree.

"Hn. Where's your boyfriend?" he asked blandly.

"Family reunion. Plus, we just had an anniversary celebrating our first month together. I didn't want to smother him; besides, he said he had some stuff to take care of," Megumi replied as she hung one last ornament onto the tree. Brushing the needles off her red turtleneck, she straightened herself up. "Did you get taller?"

Kakashi blinked. "I don't feel any taller and aren't you supposed to shrink with age?"

"That's what I thought. Maybe you're a medical anomaly. That would explain why you still don't look a day over 24."

"Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome," she smiled.

"Hey Megumi!" Megumi turned to Tenten. "Yeah?"

"Remember what you promised Ino-chan?"

Megumi's face darkened. "Hn," she replied, walking (more correctly, stomping) upstairs. Kakashi grabbed a seat on the couch. "What's with her?"

"Megumi struck a deal with Ino-pig. Ino would lay off asking about the relationship if Megumi sung Candyman in a sailor-suit."

Kakashi raised a brow. "But how would Ino know if she isn't here to see it?"

Sakura grinned and held up a digital camera. "That's why she put me in charge of the camera."

Temari grinned toothily. "This is so going onto the internet."

Steps on the stairway were heard and everyone fell silent as Megumi sulked, tapping her high-heeled foot impatiently. The sailor suit was blue and white, exceedingly reminiscent to a school uniform, but the black stiletto heels and the low cut of the top with the missing midriff, along with just how short those shorts were, said otherwise. Really, the outfit was guaranteed to knock any man off his feet, but with the peeved look of the girl in the outfit, he didn't know whether to laugh at her or lick her.

After catching the 'lick' portion of his thoughts, he shook his head, reprimanding himself for the brief loss of sanity before watching her performance, the faint whirr of a CD in the background.

_Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine__  
Candyman, candyman  
__Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine__  
Sweet, sugar, candyman_

Hey, uh  
I met him out for dinner on a Friday night  
He really got me working up an appetite  
He had tattoos up and down his arm  
There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm  
He's a one stop shop, makes my panties drop  
He's a sweet talkin' sugar-coated candyman  
A sweet talkin' sugar-coated candyman

Ooh, yeah, yeah  
He took me to the Spider club at Hollywood & Vine  
We drank champagne and we danced all night  
We shook the paparazzi for a big surprise (a big surprise)  
The gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headline  
He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop  
He's a sweet talkin' sugar-coated candyman  
A sweet talkin sugar-coated candyman

(Scatting)

Hey, yeah  
Oh, yeah

He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop  
He's a sweet talkin' sugar-coated candyman  
A sweet talkin sugar-coated candyman

Whoa, yeah  
Well, by now I'm getting all bothered and hot  
When he kissed my mouth he really hits the spot  
He got lips like sugar cane  
Good things come for boys who wait

___Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine__  
Candyman, candyman  
__Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine__  
Candyman, candyman_

(Sweet, sugar, candyman)  
He's a one stop, gotcha hot, making all the panties drop  
(Sweet, sugar, candyman)  
He's a one stop, got me hot, making my uh pop  
(Sweet, sugar, candyman)  
He's a one stop, get it while it's hot, baby don't stop  
(Sweet, sugar)

He got those lips like sugar cane  
Good things come for boys who wait  
He's a one stop shop with a real big uh  
He's a sweet talkin' sugar-coated candyman  
Say what a sweet talkin sugar-coated candyman  
(say a sweet talkin sugar-coated candyman  
A sweet talkin sugar-coated candyman

Oooh, whoa  
Candyman, candyman  
Candyman, candyman  
Candyman, candyman

___Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine  
(Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine)  
Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine  
(Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine)  
Jane lost her grip and down she fell  
(Jane lost her grip and down she fell)  
Squared herself away as she let out a yell  
(Squared herself away as she let out a yell)_

The song ended and her friends clapped, every one of them cracking up at her expense. She bowed slightly before turning curtly on her heel and began tearing at her clothing as she walked up the stairs, not even bothering to wait until she got to her room.

As the girls squealed and the males chuckled at both the girl and the face Naruto was currently sporting, Kakashi stared at the spot she was just standing at. He didn't know why, but he just really wanted some candy at that moment.


	7. Chapter 7: Close Quarters Christmas

Each couple is getting their own little fluff time. Well, the main main couples. This time is NejTen.

Song- Why Can't I? by Liz Phair.

* * *

**Ch.7: Close Quarters Christmas**

It was Christmas day. Snow fell gently outside and the lingering smell of smoke from the fireplace wafted through the house. A Christmas tree's lights blinked on and off and outside the window, a bird sang.

"It's Christmas!!"

Kakashi woke up with a snort and a groan at the knots in his neck and his spine. Rubbing his eyes and focusing his blurry vision, he saw a blonde boy in front of the tree and heard more than saw the ripping of gift-wrapping paper.

"Alright, a fox!" Naruto screamed.

"Just make sure it doesn't go on the carpet," Kakashi said sleepily, earning a 'what the hell are you taking about?' look from not only the boy, but everyone else in the room.

Sasuke blinked. "Um…it's a stuffed animal, Kakashi."

"Huh?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"It's a stuffed animal, Kakashi-san," Hinata said holding up the gift she gave her boyfriend for the festive holiday.

"Oh."

Megumi chuckled. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Hn," he grunted and Megumi shook her head.

As the presents were passed around (along with cups of coffee and cocoa), Tenten played with Neji's hair. She loved playing with his hair. It was always so long and silky. It was also soft. She just loved playing with it and he always let her, though he drew the line when she tried to braid it again. The first and last time she did, he had accidentally walked out onto the street with it and had 20 guys ask him out thinking he was a girl.

She felt arms snake around her waist and she looked up from her source of fun to see Neji smiling down at her. "Aren't I supposed to be the one playing with your hair?"

"You want to?" she asked, half surprised and half curious.

"Not right now, but after all those movies and shows you make me watch, it's always the guy who plays with the girl's hair. The guys even seem to follow that mold."

Tenten turned in his lap. "But you don't fit those molds. All those guys have short hair. Even if they have long hair, it isn't as long as yours," she said holding up a strand. "Besides, you have really nice hair," she said placing her head back against his chest.

"Really?"

"Yup. I like your hair."

"Hm. Wanna go outside later?" he asked.

"Okay, but after a shower. You smell." She pulled a face to prove her point.

"You're no field of flowers, either," he chuckled, not even stopping when he saw her glare at him, but instead leaned down and kissed her cheek. She smiled and hugged him before going to her room to shower, Neji going to the one in the upstairs hall bathroom.

* * *

"Neji?" Tenten called out as she stood in the backyard. Snow fell around her and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. She was wearing a pair of white pants, white boots, and a white jacket, her hair in braided pigtails at the sides of her head. She heard something crunch in the snow behind her and turned around…only to get a snowball to the face.

Tenten wiped the snow from her fuming face to see Neji roaring with laughter in front of her. Swearing colorfully at him, she balled up some snow in her hands and sent the white package at him.

Splat.

"Bingo," she said to herself in satisfaction before noticing the irked face and the hands slowly forming a snowball that belonged to her boyfriend. "Oh shit."

Snow flew at the brown-haired girl and as she wiped the snow from her eyes with the hand that wasn't holding the snowball, she felt her clothing pulled from her body and something icy and wet dropping inside. "Ah! COLD!" she screamed, the snowball flying from her hands and smacking against a window. Said window opened and Sakura and Naruto looked outside the window before smiling. "Hey, don't hog all the fun!"

The faint rumble of footsteps mixed with the sound of snow splattering against various surfaces. Sasuke scowled as he felt his best friend shove past him. "Hn. Dobe. Stop rushing. It's not like—"

Splat.

Tenten doubled over in laughter as Neji tried to stifle his. Sasuke wiped the remnants of the snowball off his face before reaching down and making one of his own, chucking it at someone.

"Hey!" Neji shouted indignantly. "Why me? She's the one that hit you!"

"Hn," Sasuke replied simply and reached down to get Tenten when he felt cold snow slap his backside and immediately straightened. He turned to glare at the people standing behind him, focusing on the pink-haired girl with the impish smile. Screw Hyuuga's girlfriend, Sakura was next.

Sakura giggled behind the cover of her hand. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun, but I—Ah!" she screamed as a snowball hit her face.

Sakura wiped it off her face, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment before reaching down into the snow. Sasuke simply smirked at her and she threw it. Sasuke ducked behind Naruto as snow splattered the blonde's face. "Ow!"

Naruto rubbed his forehead. "That one had a rock in it!"

Temari laughed, her head tipped back when she felt a snowball slide down her shirt and glared at the culprit, throwing a snowball at her boyfriend to show just how troublesome he was being. It wasn't long before the backyard became a battlefield. Every man for himself, no holds bar.

Megumi dove behind a convenient snow bank near a tree when she heard labored breathing that wasn't her own. She looked to her side to see Kakashi panting heavily against the snow bank beside her. She smirked, or at least, attempted one, the end result looking like a crooked smile. "Getting old, aren't we?"

"Watch it," he glared. As usual, the topic of age was still touchy around him. Really, he was turning 40 in two years. He should expect this. "I'm just tired. Sleeping sucked and I forgot how hard it is to run in snow."

"True," she admitted when a high-pitch shriek left her lips as her shirt was pulled open and a snowball slid down her skin. Enraged, she turned to the laughing man beside her before mashing a clump of pristine white snow into his face and hopping over their makeshift fort, running straight into the fray.

Megumi looked behind her, smiling at her luck. So far, she hadn't been hit by a snowball yet, even though she ran right into the main warring area and he hadn't caught her yet, but she felt arms wrap around her waist. Maybe she had spoken too soon.

Kakashi smiled to himself. He wasn't going to let her get away, not after smashing a snowball into his face. After wiping away the white powder, he ran right after her, tackling her into the snow with plans of revenge, but as she lay under him, her breathing brushing on his lower lip through his mask, he found his mind blank.

"Kakashi?"

Kakashi blinked and looked around him to see a momentary cease-fire and how her body was pinned under his. He had both her wrists pinned to the snowy backdrop by his hands and his knee was holding her leg and the rest of her from escaping. Quickly withdrawing his limbs, he rolled onto his back beside her and let out a breath, watching his exhales turn to steam before his eyes.

Megumi sat up, her weight braced by two arms as she blinked at him and looked around to see everyone looking at them. Making a peace sign, she stood up and brushed the snow off her jacket and her jeans. The others seemed to relax and walked around before falling back into the snow.

The group had made a circle. It would've been perfect, if not for the break between Sasuke and Kakashi. Megumi smiled and turned around before letting gravity take hold of her and falling backwards.

"OOF!"

Megumi turned her head. "Sorry Kakashi? Did my hand hit your stomach?"

"No; lower," he wheezed and Megumi snatched her hand back and planted it in the snow between them as her face flushed deeply. God, that was embarrassing.

She turned her head away, trying to keep her mind off what just happened when she remembered something. "Hey Hinata."

"Yeah?" Hinata asked from across the circle.

"How are Shino and Chieko?"

She could hear the smile in Hinata's voice. "It's wonderful. Shino personally proposed to Chieko last night and he called me earlier to say she said yes! Oh, I'm so happy for them!"

Megumi smiled happily. "I knew they were going to hit it off!" After all, her love senses had yet to fail her.

"Still can't believe what happened when they first met, though," Sasuke said, earning a reminiscent laugh from the group. Sighing contentedly, they watched as the snow began falling gently again and Neji watched Tenten stick her tongue out to capture one of the falling water crystals. Smiling to himself, he leaned over and kissed her.

Tenten felt his smile against her lips and she slowly pulled back, her eyes slightly foggy. "What was that all about?" she asked dreamily.

"Just wanted to."

"Hey guys! Stop sucking face before we leave you outside!" Naruto shouted playfully. The two of them laughed and Neji stood up as Tenten brushed the snow off her clothes. She had just gotten the snow off her back when she saw a hand in front of her. She looked up. "Need a hand?"

Nodding, she took Neji's hand and he helped her up, finished dusting the snow from her body, and led her inside.

* * *

Sakura moved the clothing around as they dried over the heater before turning to her friends. "Well, we have a few more moments before the clothes are done drying."

"So, what are we going to do until then?" Tenten asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. Hey teme, I'm bored."

"Thank you for clarifying that."

"You're wel—hey, you were being sarcastic!"

"It was implied," Neji interjected.

Hinata thumbed the pendant Naruto gave her for Christmas. It was a silver fairy holding a lantern, her birthstone the flame for the candle inside. "Well, we could play something. I wanted to suggest making something, but we just finished making a pie and we're waiting for it to finish baking."

Temari smiled. "Great idea, Hinata-chan. Come on, you guys still remember where it is, right?"

With a series of grunts and 'yeahs' as replies, they walked to the music room, Temari at the forefront.

The room was the same since the last time they were there. Guitars and basses sat in stands, a piano sat near the window, a keyboard sat in the back corner near the red drum set not far from a shelf of music sheet paper.

"Find somewhere to sit," Sakura said as she shouldered on her pink and white electric guitar and plugged it into an amp. The guys nodded and sat around the room when Naruto got an idea. "Hey, Sakura-chan, you got a digital camera?"

"Yeah, it's in the living room right now. Why?"

"I just got an idea," he smiled and ignoring Sasuke's remark about him actually having the capabilities of thought. He soon returned with the camera and sat down in his seat just in time to catch the last bits of set-up for the girls. Hinata stood behind her keyboard and Tenten adjusted her position behind the drums. Megumi plugged in the microphones and turned on the amps, Temari, Sakura, and her doing a small scale for tuning.

Adjusting her footing and shifting her acoustic guitar a little, she moved her lips to the microphone. "The song we're about to play is 'Why Can't I?' and we hope you like it. "

_Get a load of me get a load of you  
Walking down the street and I hardly know you  
It's just like we were meant to be_

_  
Holding hands with you when we're out at night  
Got a girlfriend, you say it isn't right  
And I've got someone waiting too_

_  
What it is its just the beginning_

_We're already wet and we're gonna go swimming  
_

_Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you  
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you  
It's inevitable, it's a fact that were gonna get down to it  
So tell me_

_Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you  
Whenever I think about you  
Whenever I think about you  
Whenever I think about you_

Sasuke nodded his head to the music when he noticed Naruto running around with the camera in his hand. "Dobe, what are you doing?"

"What do you think, teme? I'm making a music video," Naruto said as he leaned the camera back for an upwards angle shot of the girls.

_Isn't this the best part of breaking up  
Finding someone else you can't get enough of  
Someone who wants to be with you too_

_  
It's an itch we know we are gonna scratch  
Gonna take a while for this egg to hatch  
But wouldn't it be beautiful_

_  
Here we go we're at the beginning  
We haven't fucked yet but my head's spinning_

_  
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you  
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you  
It's inevitable, it's a fact that were gonna get down to it  
So tell me_

_Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you?_

_  
I'd love for you to make me wonder, where it's going  
I'd love for you to pull me under  
Something's growing out of this that we can't control  
Baby I'm dying_

_  
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you  
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you  
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you  
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you_

_It's inevitable, it's a fact that we're gonna get down to it  
So tell me_

_Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you?  
_

_Whenever I think about you  
Whenever I think about you  
Whenever I think about you  
Whenever I think about you_

The girls stepped away from the mics and Naruto grinned foxily. "Done!"

"I wanna see! I wanna see!" Tenten shouted excitedly. The girls bounded behind the guys who were all looking over Naruto's shoulder. Naruto, on the other hand was staring down at the camera. "Hm, this isn't like my camera. Maybe if I do this…" he said pressing a few buttons. "It think…no…no…here it is!" he shouted, pressing the file when something completely different appeared.

Sasuke blinked. "Is that…?"

Megumi could only stare dumbfounded at the camera as the small screen showed a video of her singing and dancing to Mika's Grace Kelly. If she remembered correctly, this was a few days after Sasori asked her out and she was bouncing off the walls about it. The guys were in a similar stunned fashion and watched as Megumi did a high leg lift.

"Wow, you're really flexible, Megumi-chan," commented Kakashi.

A small snicker could be heard on the camera and she knew exactly who taped her.

"Temari!" roared Megumi as she chased her cousin through the mansion. Temari just laughed and ran upstairs.

Naruto watched as Megumi continued her routine on camera when he noticed Shikamaru stand up and run after them. "Where are you going, lazy-ass?"

"Where do you think? It's a _chick_ fight."

Suddenly, Sasuke, Neji, and Naruto were running up the stairs with Shikamaru; Sakura, Tenten, and Hinata chasing after them.

Naruto was running up the stairs when he looked behind him to see an empty space. He leaned over the rail. "Hey Kakashi, aren't you coming?"

"No, I'm fine," he said from the music room, staring intently at a small digital camera in his hand.


	8. Chapter 8: Heartbreaker

I love summer; gives me endless time to listen to the same song on repeat for two hours without having to worry about having no place to recharge it. But since school started, I don't even have time to listen to my Ipod. Such is life.

Songs- Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar, Things I'll Never Say by Avril Lavigne.

* * *

**Ch.8: Heartbreaker**

Techno beats pounded her head as Temari sat at the bar looking tiredly at Ino who was currently making out with her latest boy toy. God, it was sickening.

'_Don't humans need to breathe?'_ she wondered to herself as she looked at her watch. Seven minutes, 35 seconds and counting. Suddenly, she felt somebody pinch her butt. She snarled and turned around. "Hey buddy, hands off the merchandise, you…"

"But it looks so good," Shikamaru said darkly as he grabbed a seat beside her and ordered a drink.

"What brings you here?" Temari asked, trying to ignore the blush on her face or the shivers that had gone down her up from his husky tone.

"Sai came to town today."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he wanted me to show him around. He asked me where Ino might be and I brought him here. We were about to come in when he said he had to go. He said he forgot something."

"Oh."

"Yeah, why are you here anyway?"

"Gotta make sure our little blonde princess doesn't get too soused to get home."

Shikamaru raised his head from his hand. "By the way, where is she? Sai wanted me to give her a message."

"Over there," Temari said pointing to a table not too far away. Giving a thankful nod, Shikamaru went over to the table and tapped the girl on the shoulder. "Yo, Yamanaka."

Ino pulled her face away from her companion and looked back dazedly at him. "What Nara, can't you see I'm busy?"

"Got a message for you," he said handing her a slip of paper. Ino nodded and took the paper, slipping it into her pocket before going back to kissing her latest conquest. Shikamaru shrugged. This wasn't the first time she brushed him off. She'd been doing it since they were kids, but instead of going cloud-watching like he used to, he had other plans, namely the cute blonde who was looking at him with a challenge in her teal eyes.

He walked back over to Temari. "So, what's the plan?"

"Let's ditch this place," she breathed against his lips.

Though he was tempted, something nagged at him. "What about you? I thought you had to make sure Ino gets home safe."

She shrugged. "That guy looks like he has it covered. Come on, besides, Ino's never drunk enough to let herself have a one-night stand."

As much as it pained him to say it, he had to. Ino was one of his best friends since elementary, so…

"Maybe we should stay."

Temari looked at him in surprise, but saw him flick a gaze to Ino and saw just how glazed her eyes were. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we should stay."

"Yeah, but we can still have fun here," Shikamaru said smiling at her.

"Really? What did you have in mind?" Temari asked. Shikamaru smirked before pulling her forward and kissing her. _"That."_

Temari saw the smug look of satisfaction on his face and struggled to collect her wits before smiling like a cat with a plate of cream in front of her. "You know, I like the way you think."

It was later that night when they brought the inebriated Ino back to her dorm and it was that next morning, through her alcohol haze that she remembered the message Shikamaru gave her. Reaching into the back pocket of the white jeans she wore last night, she popped the aspirin and gulped the water on her bedside table—because dehydration was a bitch—before opening the scrap of paper.

_**How could you?**_

Ino recognized that handwriting and remembered looking up to see Sai, but she thought her mind was playing tricks on her. He saw her. He saw her and what was worse was that she had seen him and done nothing, but kiss that guy in front of him. He looked hurt. How could she have done that?!

A tear fell on the small note and she clutched it to her chest as more tears fell from her eyes. Now she regretted ever drinking that glass of water.

* * *

Leaves danced gracefully as the wind blew gently in the area just inside the college gates. Spring had come early this year. Everything was green already even though it was technically still winter and from under a large Japanese Elm, the faint strumming of an acoustic guitar could be heard.

_Your love is like a tidal wave,  
Spinnin' over my head  
Drownin me in your promises  
Better left unsaid_

You're the right kind of sinner  
To release my inner fantasy  
The invincible winner  
And you know that you are born to be

You're a heartbreaker,  
Dream-maker,  
Love-taker, dontcha mess around with me.  
You're a heartbreaker  
Dream-maker  
Love-taker, dontcha mess around-NO NO NO

Your love has set my soul on fire  
Burnin' out of control  
Ya taught me the ways of desire,  
Now it's taken its toll!

You're the right kind of sinner  
To release my inner fantasy  
The invincible winner  
And you know that you are born to be

You're a heartbreaker  
Dream-maker  
Love-taker dontcha mess around with me  
You're a heartbreaker  
Dream-Maker  
Love-taker dontcha mess around-NO NO NO

You're the right kind of sinner  
To release my inner fantasy  
The Invincible winner  
And you know that you are born to be

You're a heartbreaker  
Dream-maker  
Love-taker dontcha mess around with me

__

You're a heartbreaker  
Dream-maker  
Love-taker dontcha mess around with me  
You're a heartbreaker  
Dream-maker  
Love-taker dontcha mess around with me  
You're a heartbreaker  
Dream-maker  
Love-taker  
HEARTBREAKER.

"That was good."

"Thanks," Megumi replied as she brushed the hair over her shoulder. It was around noon and the midday sun was dancing around them through the breaks in the tree. Some of the sun beams had even strayed onto them in the shade of the tree. "But it sounds better if it isn't acoustic."

"I wouldn't know," Kakashi said smiling gently as he sat across from her.

"I'm serious, it sounds way better if this thing wasn't wood and was plugged into an amp," she said slapping her guitar.

"It still wouldn't mean I liked this version better when I haven't heard the other version."

Megumi's hands flew to her mouth and she flushed. "I'm getting ahead of myself. Sorry, Kakashi."

"No problem," he smiled as he watched Megumi root around her for something when she pulled out a CD. "Here," she said handing him it.

"What's this?" he asked holding the CD case.

"Heartbreaker in the original form. Not acoustic and with all the other instruments," she said. "Listen to it and tell me which one you like better. I think you'd like the non-acoustic one better, but that's just what I think."

Kakashi nodded and placed it with his bag before looking at her. She was wearing jeans, a white tank top, and a black leather jacket with black boots. It still hadn't ceased to amaze him that she could wear clothing like that and not be hot. Then again, he was wearing a tan suede jacket, black pants, a blue-and-white vertical stripe button-up shirt, and under that was a white T-shirt. And if that wasn't enough, it was 80 degrees out today.

"So, how was your visit so far?" she asked.

Kakashi smiled. "You know I come here every now and again and it's always the same. Naruto is hopping around his room while Sasuke's telling me everything I needed to know from Naruto. Shikamaru's sleeping while Neji is trying to slap him awake, Sakura and Tenten just talk to me, same with Hinata and Chieko, Temari will just read and grunt at me and you'll fill me in on everything and offer me tea."

"But every time you visit, it's different. Something else happened while you're gone and we have something new to tell you about. That's why you keep coming back," she said quietly as she soaked in the calm.

Kakashi chuckled. "True."

Megumi flipped onto her stomach and looked up at him. "So, why am I always the last person you visit?"

"Not true." She raised an eyebrow, daring him to say that again and he sighed. "Alright, I do save you for last, but that's because we usually have the most fun."

"Liar. It's cuz we spend the most time."

Again, he laughed. "True, but you can't say we don't have fun doing it. We've already spent about an hour here." And she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips and looked up at him. "So have you found her yet?"

Kakashi blinked. "Who?"

Megumi started to kick her legs. "You know, that one person for you. Have you found her yet?"

"Why do you say 'her'?"

"Well, I'm assuming you aren't gay…are you?"

"No!"

She giggled. "No need to be so defensive. It's okay if you are."

"But I'm not."

"Come on, Kakashi. You can tell me. Is it Iruka-sensei?"

"What?!"

"Wow. I never knew. I mean, I heard all the rumors, but—"

"No!"

"You two would look really good together. I can just see it now. You will invite me to the wedding, right? Oh! What do you want for the wedding? Some—"

She looked up when she felt him hold her shoulders. "No!" he shouted before dropping his head onto her shoulder. "Can you just stop?" he asked tiredly.

"I guess I got a bit carried away."

"Yes. Yes, you did."

"Well, I'm sorry."

"Hn."

"Am I forgiven?"

An unintelligible mutter.

"But I said sorry."

Another unintelligible mutter.

"Come on," she whined.

Another mutter.

"Fine. I, Megumi, hereby swear never to question your sexual preference ever again. You are a straight heterosexual male and I apologize for any discomfort or distress my comment may have caused you. There, are you happy?"

Another mutter.

"I guess? I guess?! That was a formal apology!"

Another mutter.

"Fine. Can I at least have a hug before I go grovel at you feet, begging for forgiveness?" She felt arms wrap around her and she hugged him back. "You know, I'm starting to think you have one of those weird fetishes where you like seeing people embarrassed," she whispered into his ear.

"Do you really want to beg longer?"

"Fine." She let go of him and slumped back against the tree while he rested his weight on his hands behind him.

"You can't say that wasn't fun."

"You didn't seem to think so," Megumi countered and he held his hands up in defense before sitting them back down. Megumi slid her knees up under her chin and held her legs to her chest. "So have you found her? That one person for you."

"No, not yet."

"Really? I thought you'd be going out on dates every week."

"I stopped the internet dating."

"Why?"

"Too many women were following me home and not wanting to leave."

"So they were stalking you?"

"Yup."

"That sucks."

"Yup."

Megumi nodded in agreement when she remembered something. "Hey Kakashi, can you help me with something?"

"Sure. What is it—and I draw the line at dressing in drag, blindfolds, and the castration and/or amputation of anything."

"You do realize how many options that leaves me with, right?"

"Yes, but I highly doubt what you want me to do would use most of those options."

"You know me too well."

"And you know me too well, but continue. What do you want me to do?" he asked, listening attentively.

"I want you to tell me what you think about this song I wrote."

"Alright."

Kakashi watched as she extended one leg and pulled her guitar across her body. Leaning against the tree, she began bobbing her head to a beat only she could hear before dancing her fingers on the strings.

_La da da da La da da da..._

I'm tugging at my hair  
I'm pulling at my clothes  
I'm trying to keep my cool  
I know it shows  
I'm staring at my feet  
My cheeks are turning red  
I'm searching for the words inside my head  
I'm feeling nervous  
Trying to be so perfect  
Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it  
Yeah

If I could say what I want to say  
I'd say I want to blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?  
If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down  
On one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say

It don't do me any good  
It's just a waste of time  
What use is it to you  
What's on my mind?  
If it ain't coming out  
We're not going anywhere  
So why can't I just tell you that I care  
(Cause) I'm feeling nervous  
Trying to be so perfect  
Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it  
Yeah

If I could say what I want to say  
I'd say I want to blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?  
If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down  
On one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say

What's wrong with my tongue  
These words keep slipping away  
I stutter  
I stumble  
Like I've got nothing to say  
Yes, I'm feeling nervous  
Trying to be so perfect  
Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it  
Yeah

La da da da La da da da...

Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say

If I could say what I want to say  
I'd say I want to blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?  
If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down  
On one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
With these things I'll never say

__

These things I'll never say

Megumi stopped and placed the guitar against the tree next to her. "So what do you think?"

"I think it's good."

"Good?"

"Is 'good' bad nowadays? I could never really understand slang."

"No, 'good' is still good, but you said it weird," she replied.

"Really? How so?"

"It was like you wanted to ask me something afterwards," she said.

"Oh, that. Just curious, was this song made for Sasori by any chance?"

"Yup," she smiled. No, she didn't smile. She beamed. She glowed and that answer left a bitter taste in his mouth and clenching pain in his heart. "Oh."

Megumi looked up at him worriedly and rested a hand on his knee, stopping him form getting up. "Are you alright? You sounded disappointed."

"No, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yup."

"Really sure?"

"Swear on my future grave."

"Don't say that," she snapped. "It makes you sound like you're going to die."

"But I am," he said, like it was the simplest thing in the world. Actually, it was. Everything in life died. It was a rule of thumb for living organisms.

"I know that. I meant it sounds like you're going to die soon," she said standing up, her guitar in hand.

"Hn. So how are things with Sasori?" he asked.

"Oh, they're good," she said blushing. Suddenly, her watch went off. "Crap, I need to get to class. See you around, Kakashi!"

"Bye," he smiled. He watched her leave towards the college and he shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Hey!"

She turned around, a question in her eyes.

"How exactly do you feel about him?"

"Who?" she asked.

"Sasori. How do you feel about Sasori?"

Her eyes gleamed and her smile became serene to match her features. _"I think I love him, Kakashi."_

He watched her leave without a second glance and though it didn't usually bother him, he found it adding to the clenching in his heart which now felt like someone had just gutted him with a rusted steak knife and decided to step on his heart while they were at it. For some reason, they had Megumi's face, but Sasori was behind them praising her for it.

When he got home that night, tired with Kiku mewing at his feet, he sighed. "Leave me alone, Kiku." He gave one glance at the cat who was looking at him in shocked confusion before walking up to his room. He dug the CD from his bag and stuck it into his CD player. He stuck the buds in his ear and listened to the song. When the song was over, he removed the buds, placing them on the desk by his hand as he stared out the window, the sky grey and raining.

She'd been right. He did like this one better.


	9. Ch9: Valentine’s Was Always a Lost Cause

Hi. For the people wondering about my lack of updating, I've been getting a major lack of sleep. I've been dozing off in classes and I barely have time to eat while I keep up my grades for when I apply to college next year. In short, blame chapter outlines.

Slight lemon in this chapter, but don't get excited.

* * *

**Ch.9: Valentine's was always A Lost Cause Anyway**

_A faint shuffling sound could be heard on the carpeted floor of the dorm hallway. A light flickered above two figures as the male moved the female towards her room. She groped blindly for the doorknob, knowing her roommate would leave it open at this time of day, even if she was gone from the room. Pushing the door in, the red-head pressed his hand to the small of her back and walked her to the edge of her bed. _

_Plundering her mouth, he leaned forward after feeling the slight pressure against his legs from the edge of the bed and the two landed onto the bed. _

_He moved his lips from her mouth, the lingering taste of her still fresh on his mind as he trailed kisses from her lips to her jaw line and lower. Hearing her moan in approval as he licked and nipped at the long column of her neck, he moved the hand cradling the back of her head to her shoulder. _

_Slowly, he peeled the fabric from her skin and marked her there as his other hand slid under the hem of her shirt and slowly moved upwards, seeking its prize when he felt her stir against him. "Sasori?" The man decided to ignore it and decided to move his attention back to her lips. _

"_Sasori, no." _

_A kiss on cheek._

"_Sasori, wait."_

_The corner of her lip; his hand moving steadily upwards towards her flesh._

"_Sasori, no…wait…"_

_He leaned his head down to kiss her lips as his hand cupped the flesh under her bra, his fingers seeking her nipple. He could just taste her, but as his lips made contact with her lightly-tanned skin, she turned her face away and pushed up on his shoulder. "Stop!"_

_Sasori pulled away quickly, now standing halfway between the bed and the door as she sat on the bed, her chest heaving and her lips swollen from his attention. Her clothes were crumpled and her hair disheveled and eyes once glazed with lust were now wide with fear and shadowed by guilt._

_Megumi reached her hand to him. "Sasori, I'm sorry. I—I—"_

"_Hn. I'm out of here," he said grabbing his jacket and slamming the door behind him._

_The time was 3:30 p.m., February 13__th__._

* * *

Megumi bit her lip nervously as she paced in the hallway, the events of yesterday replaying in her mind. It was February 14th, Valentine's Day. The dorms were mostly empty seeing how it was a Saturday and most people were taking their boyfriends or girlfriends out for a date. Temari and Shikamaru were some of the people who stayed back. Temari, because she was concerned for her younger cousin and Shikamaru because he said he had a visitor coming today.

Last night had sucked. Temari wouldn't stop with the worried questions and when Megumi told her to stop, Temari just climbed into bed and shot her worried glances over the top of the book she was supposedly reading when she thought she wasn't looking. It was around 3:30 when Temari left to spend some time with her boyfriend and when Megumi snuck out of the room.

Megumi was on one of the upper floors of her dorm building. Sasori lived up here and she flicked her gaze nervously at each passing door, watching the numbers decrease consecutively as she got closer to his room. What was she going to do? What was she going to say? Maybe she should apologize. After all, what Sasori wanted was perfectly natural and even if she was uncomfortable with the idea, she could let him do it. After all, she loved him and he loved her, right?

'_Right,'_ she thought with conviction. Looking up, she noticed she was at his door. Timidly, she raised her hand to knock on the door when she heard moans coming from the other side of the door. _'Is he sick?'_ she wondered. She knocked on the door.

"Sasori?"

No answer.

"Sasori?" she asked slightly louder.

Again, no answer.

"I should check on him." Biting her lip with worry, she reached forward and twisted the knob, noting with slight surprise that it was unlocked. The door slowly opened and what she saw rooted her to the spot.

"Ah, Sasori!"

The man just grunted as he loomed over her, looking into her eyes which were glazed with lust.

"S-Sasori?" Megumi stuttered.

Sasori looked up and his eyes narrowed at her. He got up from the bed, his boxers hanging off his hips as the blonde in his bed tried to sit up, her eyes glazed and her chest rising and falling with her pants. "Sasori? Why'd you stop? You never stopped before, so—who's that? Girlfriend?"

Sasori didn't answer her. Instead, he walked over to the door and looked down at the girl whose head followed his movement, staring up at him with unbelieving eyes and watched as he closed the door in her face, the sound of his feet padding towards the bed coming through from under the door.

Megumi stared, unmoving, at the door in front of her. Had that really happened? But the sound of keening moans from the other side of the door brought her back to reality and she could only stare at the door as tears stung her eyes. One slid down her cheek and landed, soaking and staining a small area of carpet. Why did that have to happen to her? God, she wanted to cry and…No.

Her legs began to carry her away, away from the door and down the stairs. Her footsteps echoed around her in the small stairway as tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She wouldn't let him see her cry. She'd save that for when she got to her room.

* * *

"Alright, alright; I'll tell her that. See you later, Shikamaru."

Kakashi walked down the hall, one hand in his pocket as he looked at the watch on the other. It was roughly five o' clock in the afternoon. His meeting with Shikamaru had taken longer than expected.

He looked down the hall, a long stretch of blue carpet that seemed to go on forever meeting his eyes. It was strange. This had to be the emptiest he'd seen this dorm since he started visiting. As he mused what lay just behind the confines of each door, a faint sound caught his attention.

'_Crying?'_

He turned to the left where he heard the sound coming from and looked up at the dorm room. He knew this room; this was Temari and Megumi's dorm and since Temari was still with her boyfriend and Megumi had the only other key, it could only mean…

He knocked on the door. "Megumi?"

"Go away!" came the muffled reply.

Kakashi chuckled. "College is making you less lady-like or do you only treat your friends like this?"

"Oh. Kakashi. Hold on." Her footsteps were muffled like her voice and Kakashi looked down as he heard the lock drop and the door open and Megumi step in the opening to look at him.

Her eyes were red and puffy along with the rest of her face. Her nose was slightly red and her hair clung to her face as her cheeks shined from the paths of her tears.

"How long have you been crying?" he asked stepping inside.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said walking to the bed and sitting on it.

Kakashi closed the door and looked at her. "Megumi, don't lie to me. You can't even lie to me right now. Look at you. It looks like you just stopped crying."

"Not true. I stopped crying twenty minutes ago," she said bitterly, feeling the familiar urge to cry well up inside her once more. She felt fingers lift her chin up and stared into his eyes as he sat on the bed. When had he moved? She hadn't heard him at all. She felt him rest a hand on her leg as his other hand still held her chin. "Megumi, what happened to you?"

At the worry in his voice, she broke down and flung herself at his chest.

"I—I—yesterday, Sasori was kissing me and he put his hand up my shirt and I pushed him away. He l-look-ked mad, but—but I t-thought it wasn't—wasn't a big deal and today—and today, I went to go apologize. I—I—I was g-going to l-l-let him d-d-do it because that's what girlfriends do. They let their boyfriends do that to t-them and I h-h-heard these sounds coming from the room and I opened it and—and—and—"

Kakashi moved one hand from her back to brush away the hair that clung to her face. "And what?" he asked gently.

"And I saw him! I saw him in bed with t-this girl and I just stood there like an idiot. I just stood there, staring and he shut the door in my face and I couldn't believe it and I wanted to cry, but I didn't want him to hear and I ran here and—and—Oh, I'm such an idiot, Kakashi!" she moaned, sobbing into his chest.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am. I'm such a fucking idiot. I mean, I loved him and I should have realized that he was cheating on me, but I thought he actually loved me too and that he didn't care that I didn't want sex with him and he went and cheated on me with this girl and I let him lead me on like that! What couldn't I see that?! Or—or—"

"Or what?"

"Or maybe if I could've said yes when he asked me to the first time…maybe if I had just given him what he wanted, then maybe this wouldn't have happened and maybe he wouldn't have cheated on me. Maybe—maybe if I tell him yes right now, we can get back together!"

Kakashi looked up, alarmed as the girl headed for the door. "What?! Megumi, no!"

"Yeah, he will," she said murmuring to herself like a mad woman, "he'll take me back and everything will be fine and—"

She was cut off as she was tackled to the floor. She looked up to see Kakashi. His shirt was open at the top three buttons and his mask was pooled at his neck and his eye patch was around his neck too. Why hadn't she noticed that before either?

"Megumi, snap out of it! You don't need him! You're better than that!"

Megumi stammered helplessly. "But, Sasori…I—He—"

He shook her shoulders. "Megumi, you don't need him! Look at what you're doing!"

Megumi sat up slowly, her legs tucked under her as she lifted her hands up to look at them. "Oh…my…"

A frustrated, anguished cry left her throat as she buried her hands into her hair. "God, what did I let him do to me?!" she shouted at herself.

Kakashi watched as she looked at herself in shock. Slowly, he helped her to her feet and helped her to the bed, making sure she wouldn't slip off the bed before watching her blink a few times. Her body became tense before she cried out again and began tearing at her skin. Kakashi instinctively caught her arms. "Stop it, Megumi!"

"No!" she cried petulantly.

"Stop it!"

"No!" she screamed, banging on his chest with her hands as she tried to get him to release her.

"No! Megumi, why are you doing this?!" he shouted in frustration.

"Why? Why?!" She tore her hands from his grip and pulled on her shirt collar, buttons popping off and rolling onto the floor. Hot tears stung her eyes as she pulled away the fabric of her white shirt, exposing the red marks marring her fair skin. "Look what I let him do to me! That person—_that thing_ put these on me! He was just going to take what he wanted and then throw me out and I was actually thinking of giving it to him!"

"Megumi, I—"

"What was I thinking? Giving myself up to him like that! Like some _whore!_ What happened to me?! I used to have more pride than this. I used to care about myself more!"

"Megumi—"

She looked up, her features suddenly sobered. "I should go kill myself."

His eyes widened. "Megumi, what are you talking about?"

"I'm going to go kill myself," she stated, rising from the bed, her tail of her black skirt falling off the bed behind her.

"What? Megumi, no!" he said grabbing her wrist.

She tugged on her arm, her eyes firmly holding his. "Don't try to stop me, Kakashi."

"No."

"Let go!" she snapped.

"No. Megumi, why are you doing this?"

"Because I've brought shame and dishonor upon myself and my family."

"What?! Megumi, calm down. You're not in the right state of mind."

"On the contrary, this is the clearest my mind has ever been. Now let go," she ordered.

"No."

"Why?"

"You tell me," he replied.

"Because I was going to offer myself up like a piece of meat. I've hated guys like this all my life…and…and when I was finally presented with a situation with one of them, I was going to throw my whole life away for him! What happened to me? I would've never done anything like this. What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong. He did." But she plowed on as if she never heard his words. He doubted she did.

"I'm like a whore. No, I'm lower than that. I'm lower than _him_"—tears fell from her eyes—"I was going to stoop to his level. I'm such an idiot! I'm such a fucking idiot! I'm—"

She looked up as Kakashi pulled his lips from her forehead, her eyes wide. "Kakashi…?"

He lowered his head once more, his lips brushing against her cheek as he kissed away a tear before repeating the action on her other cheek, the touches like butterflies, soft and fleeting.

As he pulled away, she looked up at him. His legs, encased in a pair of black slacks, hung over the side of the bed. His right hand was on the bed, supporting his weight and his white shirt was crushed and rumpled against his chest, hers probably looking no better. His lids were lowered and his features were softened by the grey light outside the window, the faint patter of raindrops falling coming from the world outside.

She lifted her head up slightly higher and found herself staring into his eyes. She wondered how they could be so piercing and so clear. As she looked into them, she felt her own lids lower, her body soothed by a lullaby that her ears couldn't hear, but her soul could. A hand brushed her jaw and tangled in her locks as it tucked a strand behind her ear. She leaned into the touch. Had he always been this warm or had she just always been cold?

His head moved towards hers slowly and she found herself moving towards him. She tucked her legs half under her as she braced her weight on the bed with her left hand. Her lids became heavier and they fell slightly lower as they came closer. She noticed his did too. His thumb brushed against her cheek and tilted her jaw slightly upwards as he lightly pressed her lips with his own.

She did nothing for a few seconds, just sat there with the warm pressure against her lips when she hesitantly pressed back and he responded, covering her lips a bit more and pressing his a bit firmer than before. The hand intertwined with the fine tendrils of her hair tilted her head back and she placed her right hand on his shoulder as she moved her lips against him. It was strange. The feeling that shot through her toes wasn't like the one Sasori gave her. There were huge differences. While his kisses were always hurried and bruising, this one was gentle and had no raging sea of lust behind it. It was just a kiss.

Her hand held onto his shirt as his fingers buried themselves deeper into her hair. She felt dizzy, but the sensation wasn't unpleasant as much as welcome. She could hear the blood thrumming through her veins and she could hear the faint beating of a heart. Whether it was hers or his didn't seem to press at her.

A faint shuffling was heard outside the door when there was a sudden crash. He quickly pulled away and she found herself missing his warmth.

Kakashi panted heavily as he looked around the dim light room with a half-lidded gaze, the only light coming from the world outside through the openings in the blinds. His breathing was ragged as he tried to fill his lungs once more and he looked down to see her. Her face was still turned to him and he watched the flutter of her lashes, then her eyes as they slowly revealed themselves to him. Her eyes were still clear, but there was a shadow of fog. They were unfocused, dazed as if coming from a dream. He watched her blink. Once, twice, then she looked at him from under heavy lids. "Kakashi?" she asked.

Her voice was tinged with the lingering haze that fogged her mind and he felt a coldness chill his body. "I have to go," he murmured, more to himself than to her.

Grabbing his coat from her nightstand, he grabbed the knob and threw the door open. As he ran down the hall, his loud footsteps echoing back to her, the door bounced off the wall and she blinked before raising her fingers to touch her lips hesitantly. As she dragged her eyes away from the door to where he just was, a painful twisting was felt in her chest. If she didn't know better, she would've thought her heart had been broken twice that day.


	10. Chapter 10: Begin to Hope

I wasn't sure of how to do this chapter at first, but after a bit more planning, I think I got it. Tell me what you think. Also, if you can guess where the title came from, I'll give you a cookie and mention you in the next chapter.

Songs- Absolutely (Story of a Girl) by Nine Days; Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet by Relient K.

* * *

**Ch.10: Begin to Hope**

A cold wind nipped at the noses of the patrons outside. Delilah was packed tonight, but with Sharingan as your entertainment, it wasn't that much of a surprise.

Megumi swirled the drink in her hand as she sat at the bar. She looked into the glass. It was a dark amber liquid and she swirled it again before drinking some of it. Kyo wiped the glass in his hand. "You okay, Megumi?"

"Yeah," she said in a depressed tone. "Can I have another soda?"

"Sure," he said handing her another can of soda before returning to his chore. "Hey, is _he_ here tonight?"

She looked up at Kyo, her cheek still pressed to the counter in her slumped position. "No. He isn't and he won't be coming back. He didn't really want to come here anyway. He never did. Said this place wasn't his style. I had to drag him here."

Kyo looked up. "Is he causing you any trouble?"

"No," she said quietly against the counter.

Kyo snorted. "Well, if he does, tell me and I'll kick his ass for you." This made her smile and she looked up at him, a happy glimmer in her eyes. "Thanks, Kyo."

Kyo nodded. "Hn. Don't worry about it. Guy's a shitbag for doing that to you. Doesn't know a good thing when he has it," he muttered shaking his head before going to the other end of the bar.

Megumi smiled until he couldn't see it turn to a frown. She sighed. Kyo was right; Sasori was an ass, but it didn't stop her heart from hurting. In any case, he didn't have to kick Sasori's ass. Temari already did it for him.

_Flashback_

_It was the beginning of March, the sun was shining and on a small cement path, a small group of people walked. _

_Megumi turned to Temari. "Really, I'm okay."_

"_You sure?" she asked._

"_Really. Hey Lee."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_How is it with Shiori?" Megumi asked, trying to change the subject._

_Lee flushed slightly. "It's going great. We held hands yesterday," he said smiling awkwardly as he thought back on the memory of holding hands with his girlfriend._

_Megumi smiled, but couldn't help the pang that stabbed her heart. Why couldn't she and Sasori have been like that? Suddenly, she felt someone bump into her and she looked behind her to see umber eyes and red hair. She stared with wide eyes. He scoffed. _

"_Aren't you going to say sorry?"_

"_Sorry," she said looking away._

"_Hey, look at me when you talk to me."_

"_No."_

"_What?" he asked._

"_Kiss my ass," she said walking away when he grabbed her wrist. Megumi winced. _

"_Hey, let go of my cousin."_

_Sasori scoffed at Temari. "Or what?"_

"_Just let go, Sasori," said Megumi tiredly._

"_No, I don't think so. You and I still have to talk and besides, I'm interested in seeing what the little pop princess is going to do."_

"_Little…pop…princess?"_

_Lee's eyes widened and pulled Megumi away just in the nick of time as Temari tackled Sasori to the ground, slugging him across the face. "You enjoy messing with my family, shitface?" _

_Another punch._

"_What? Screwing with Gaara wasn't enough? You had to go after my cousin too?" _

_Sasori shoved her off him and dove at her. She lifted her knee, landing a solid kick into his stomach before doing a roundhouse kick to his face and sweeping him off his feet. She was about to go at him again when Lee grabbed her. "Stop it, Temari; don't you think he's had enough?"_

_She looked him over. His right cheek was swollen and he had a shiner on his left eye and she knew under his shirt, he was sporting a couple of bruises. Raising her left foot, she smashed it on his stomach and looked down at him and scoffed. "Guess this little pop princess just whooped your ass." She sized him up, thinking of spitting on him for good measure, but decided against it and turned to her two friends. _

"_Come on. Let's go."_

_End flashback_

Megumi couldn't help the wry smile that crossed her lips. As much as she should feel sorry for Sasori (after all, he had been beaten up by a girl in broad daylight and he wasn't anything if not proud), the asshole deserved it. She snickered.

"Something funny?"

"No Kyo," but the dark smile didn't leave her face.

Kyo smirked. "Thinking of how many ways you're going to gut him like a fish?"

Megumi looked up and placed a finger on her cheek as if in thought. "No, I was thinking more along the lines of castration."

Kyo grinned and ruffled her hair. "That's my girl." And Megumi let him. He was more a father to her than her real father ever was and she was probably the daughter he never had. He never got a chance. When his wife died in that car crash all those years ago, it killed their 8-month-old unborn daughter too.

Megumi smiled thankfully at Kyo who just nodded and turned his raven-haired head away as she stared up at the stage. Even though the sign outside said Sharingan; Kakashi was missing. Megumi had a feeling that he was avoiding her. After all, she hadn't seen her since the day he kissed her and it hurt her to think he was avoiding her. Just then, the band began to play.

_This is the story of a girl  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world  
And while she looks so sad in photographs  
I absolutely love her  
When she smiles_

How many days in a year?  
She woke up with hope but she only found tears  
And I can be so insincere  
Making the promises never for real  
As long as she stands there waiting  
Wearin' the holes in the soles of her shoes  
How many days disappear?  
When you look in the mirror, so how do you choose?

Your clothes never wear as well the next day  
And your hair never falls in quite the same way  
You never seem to run out of things to say

This is the story of a girl  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world  
And while she looks so sad in photographs  
I absolutely love her  
When she smiles

How many lovers would stay?  
Just to put up with this shit day after day  
How did we wind up this way?  
Watchin' our mouths for the words that we say  
As long as we stand here waitin'  
Wearin' the clothes of the souls that we choose  
How do we get there today?  
When we're walkin' too far for the price of our shoes

Your clothes never wear as well the next day  
And your hair never falls in quite the same way  
You never seem to run out of things to say

This is the story of a girl  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world  
And while she looks so sad in photographs  
I absolutely love her  
When she smiles

Well your clothes never wear as well the next day  
And your hair never falls in quite the same way  
You never seem to run out of things to say

This is the story of a girl  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world  
And while she looks so sad in photographs  
I absolutely love her…

This is the story of a girl  
Whose pretty face she hid from the world  
And while she looks so sad and lonely there  
I absolutely love her…

This is the story of a girl  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world  
And while she looks so sad in photographs  
I absolutely love her  
When she smiles

__

When she smiles

Ino swirled the shot of whiskey in front of her before knocking it back, the liquid scalding the back of her throat.

Sasuke went up to the microphone. "This is a song that my cousin wanted me to sing. He's somewhere out here tonight—and don't go looking for him."

A collective whine was heard from the female population and he just scoffed before going into the song.

_I think you know what I'm getting at  
I find it so upsetting that  
the memories that you select you keep the bad but the good you just forget_

and even though I'm angry I can still say  
I know my heart will break the day  
when you peel out and drive away  
I can't believe this happened

And all this time I never thought  
that all we had would be all for not

No, I don't hate you  
don't want to fight you  
know I'll always love you  
but right now I just don't like you  
No, I don't hate you  
don't want to fight you  
know I'll always love you  
but right now I just don't like you  
cause you took this too far

Make your decision and don't you dare think twice  
go with your instincts along with some bad advice  
this didn't turn out the way I thought it would at all  
you blame me but some of this is still your fault

I tried to move you, but you just wouldn't budge  
I tried to hold your hand but you'd rather hold your grudge  
I think you know what I'm getting at  
you said goodbye and I just don't want you regretting that

No, I don't hate you  
don't want to fight you  
know I'll always love you  
but right now I just don't like you  
No, I don't hate you  
don't want to fight you  
know I'll always love you  
but right now I just don't like you

__

And wisdom always chooses  
these black eyes and these bruises  
over the heartache that they say  
never completely goes away  
(I just can't believe this happened  
and one day we'll see this come around)

_And wisdom always chooses  
these black eyes and these bruises  
over the heartache that they say  
never completely goes away  
(I just can't believe this happened  
and one day we'll see this come around)_

No, I don't hate you  
don't want to fight you  
know I'll always love you  
but right now I just don't like you  
No, I don't hate you  
don't want to fight you  
know I'll always love you  
but right now I just don't like you  
cause you took this too far

__

What happened to us  
I heard that it's me we should blame  
what happened to us  
why didn't you stop me from turning out this way  
and know that I don't hate you  
and know that I don't want to fight you  
and know that I'll always love you  
but right now I just don't...

Ino lowered her head in defeat. _'He hates me. He hates me and I don't blame him.'_

She looked up, tears streaming down her face. It was all her fault. God, why did she have to cheat on him? So what if he had trouble understanding how she felt sometimes? He loved her and she shouldn't have treated him like that. And as she nursed her shot glass, she noticed something.

'_It couldn't be.'_ But she found her legs walking over to him. "Sai?"

The dark-haired man looked up. "Yamanaka."

She sat in the seat across from him. "We need to talk." He turned away from her and she sighed. "You don't have to say anything, just listen to me. When we were fighting, I—I got…lonely. When we were together, it was like the best thing in the world to me, but when we were fighting, I wanted—no, I _needed_ someone there. After a while, I couldn't stand being alone and I couldn't ask you because the whole reason I was alone was because we weren't talking," she said laughing, but the sound was empty. He still faced away from her.

Ino sighed and buried her hands in her hair tiredly. "Look, I know I'm a bitch and I know I don't have the right to talk to you and I'm a really shitty person. I mean, I'm weak, I'm clingy, I'm needy, I can be a total bitch, I'm inconsiderate, I'm stupid, I never learn, and I'm annoying. I know all that already."

"…you forgot loud…"

Ino whipped her head up. "What?"

Sai glanced over his shoulder at her. "You forgot loud."

Ino laughed through her tears and he turned towards her in his seat. She reached for the hands he placed on the table. "But I can't live without you. I need you to be with me."

"Has it really been that bad?"

She smiled at him saucily. "My life's been a shithole these past few weeks."

Sai chuckled, but soon looked at her with a serious face. "One last chance, Ino; you mess up, I'm gone."

Ino smiled at him. "Deal." And she sealed it with a hug.

* * *

_Your clothes never wear as well the next day  
And your hair never falls in quite the same way  
You never seem to run out of things to say_

This is the story of a girl  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world  
And while she looks so sad in photographs  
I absolutely love her  
When she smiles

Well your clothes never wear as well the next day  
And your hair never falls in quite the same way  
You never seem to run out of things to say

This is the story of a girl  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world  
And while she looks so sad in photographs  
I absolutely love her...

This is the story of a girl  
Whose pretty face she hid from the world  
And while she looks so sad and lonely there  
I absolutely love her...

This is the story of a girl  
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world  
And while she looks so sad in photographs  
I absolutely love her  
When she smiles

__

When she smiles

Kakashi put down the guitar in the grass beside him. He was at the school—to be precise, in the area beside the school sitting on a cement bench where a tree was placed in the concrete box. It was Thursday, but the school was empty. The kids had the day off, but the teachers had to come. After all, it was a mandatory staff meeting and it had just ended. With no idea what to do with himself, he grabbed the guitar he brought with him from home and started playing.

As he sat on his cement seat, he had to wonder if the rest of Sharingan had played this song when they went to Delilah. He had written it, but hadn't gone to play it, not with Megumi around. He knew why he was avoiding her. He figured it out a few weeks ago and groaned out loud at the memory. God, it was embarrassing.

_Flashback_

_Kakashi sat in his room as the dull patter of the rain could be heard outside his window. Kiku hopped up onto his bed and Kakashi offered the cat a small smile before stroking her fur. Kiku purred and arched her back before walking away from the hand to his nightstand, licking a photograph. Kakashi shook his head and picked up the cat. He'd never been a cat person (he preferred dogs), but he was okay with cats now. _

"_Kiku, you silly cat, what are you doing?"_

_He removed the cat and picked up the photo. It was a picture of him and Megumi from last year when the two bands went to the amusement park. He was wearing a black T-shirt and cargo shorts while Megumi rested her arm on his shoulder and winked at the camera, wearing a pair of white shorts and a blue tank top with a blue visor. He remembered this picture. Sakura had taken it. _

_His grip increased on the frame slightly and Kiku mewed and Kakashi watched as Kiku began pawing at the photo. "You miss her?"_

_Kiku mewed._

"_Yeah, I miss her too," he said sadly before groaning loudly and plopping onto his bed. The action had spooked Kiku as she had run out of the room, but that was okay. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts anyway. _

"'_I miss her too?' What the hell am I saying? I'm avoiding her!" _

_But he had yet to figure out why. Sure, it would be awkward. Really awkward. After all, he kissed her. A man 14 years her senior had kissed her and he kissed her while she was having a nervous breakdown. Kami, what was wrong with him?!_

_Kakashi turned in his bed, pressing his face into his sheet and a picture of her appeared in his mind's eye and he found himself grinning under his mask before he wiped the idiotic expression off his face. This was becoming absurd. _

'"Come on, Kakashi! Let's go outside today!"_'_

_He smiled wider at the image of her smiling at him, his heart feeling lighter at the memory, but he ignored it. _

_He let his mind wander to their various memories and he found that they had a lot, or maybe he'd just been subconsciously saving each one they had ever made? And when did he start noticing the small things about her? Her smile, her laugh, the fact she wrinkled her nose when she was upset or that she would pout her lip when she was disappointed or bite it when she was nervous?_

_At the thought of her lips, his mind had drifted back to the kiss. Nothing had really happened. He had just given her an innocent kiss and he'd given her all the time in the world to leave, but she had stayed. She had stayed and kissed him back. Did it mean that she liked him or was she just giving into the moment after losing her boyfriend? No, he had sensed hesitance in her movements as if she never had a kiss like that. _

_Now that he looked at it, it seemed trivial that he was avoiding her because of it. He had just kissed her and she kissed him back. That's all there was to it, but his palms were slightly clammy and he noticed his heart rate had leapt. Really, this was absurd. It was just a kiss, but it didn't stop his heart rate from leaping at the memory of his lips against hers and how she responded and he noticed he was breathing faster now. Kami, this was insane. If he didn't know any better, he would've said he was acting like some teenager in—_

"_Shit." _

_Grabbing a pillow from behind his head, he stuffed his face into it and vented a well-needed scream before throwing it to the end of the bed. "Ok, Hatake. No need to panic, just be calm and think this through." _

_But his mind wasn't listening and panic was beginning to set in. He was obviously overreacting. There was no way he could like her. Why would he like her?! Not that she was a bad person. _

'_On the contrary, she's smart, funny, very easy to get along with, down-to-earth and…' _

_She was real. Unlike how she let herself be portrayed in magazines and television, she had her own problems. _

_She had a bad relationship with her father and she still did, she was suicidal for years, she had planned on killing herself not too long ago, and she was the crutch for everyone. It wasn't like she was above everyone else. She was actually worse off than most of them. She'd had one of the worst situations a person could ever have emotionally and mentally, but she was clawing her way up and she could help a person because she'd been there. She could understand anyone, even him and…he could understand her. _

_He marveled at her strength. She had made such a transformation from who she said she was. By looking at her, you'd never be able to tell that she had such a life. You'd just see a girl with a bright smile and a rich lifestyle. She was like a pool of water. You'd never know how deep it was until you jumped in. _

_Kakashi let his head fall back into his pillows as he stared up at the ceiling from his western-style bed. Just how did he know her so well and not know her at the same time? She really was a mystery, but he liked that about her. He liked that and so much more about her. He could always tell how she felt by looking at her eyes. Though she wore her heart on her sleeve and while he usually found that annoying, he didn't mind it with her. _

_And she could always make him smile. He didn't know why. I mean, give him a volume of Icha Icha and he'd be grinning at you for a good half hour, but somehow, she could make him smile and mean it and he found that stupid smile on his face again. Kami, he was probably looking like a love-sick teenager (something he had never done before), but he found he didn't mind this either._

_Shit. He really was in trouble. He really did fall in love with her. He chuckled at the idea of falling in love with his former student, but he found that his laughter was fond and his smile warm. Was he really okay with falling in love with her? Sure, you couldn't choose who you fell for, but she was his former student. Shouldn't his moral fiber be screaming and ranting at him right about now?_

_He waited a few minutes as if testing the theory out, but heard no voice in his head screaming 'this is wrong! You can't do this!' or felt any pangs of guilt. But even if his moral fiber wasn't yelling at him, he was probably going to burn in hell for this—burn, rot, be tortured—but he was surprisingly calm. In fact, he seemed pretty okay with the idea._

_He turned his head to the small photo frame beside his bed and turned on his side to look at it. It really was a nice picture and it seemed very homey. Like something you'd take on vacation with your family what with all the amusement park rides and families in the back. Kakashi smiled wryly and pointed to Megumi. _

"_This is all your fault."_

_End flashback_

Kakashi sighed at the memory. After he finished his little melt-down, the memory was actually very pleasant, but he remembered just how he felt about her and groaned. Though not unpleasant, it was embarrassing. Suddenly, a shadow appeared over him.

"What? Song not turn out like you wanted?"

Kakashi turned back. "Oh, hey Genma." When had he gotten here?

The toothpick-sucking man nodded and put his hands in his pockets. "So, are you going to answer my question or what?"

Kakashi shook his head. "It isn't the song." Of course it wasn't the song. He was pretty proud of it, actually.

"Good, cuz I wouldn't want to hear you bitch about it not being good."

Kakashi rolled his eye. "Gee, thanks."

"No problem," Genma said punching Kakashi's arm lightly before looking ahead at the scenery across from them. "So who's the girl?"

Kakashi did a double-take. "W-what?"

"Well, you did write a song all about a girl, so I want to know who it is."

Kakashi shook his head. "No one."

"Well, it had to be based on someone."

"It's just about a girl."

"And I'm asking who it is."

"It's no one! It's just a random girl, Genma. Lay off."

"But it has to be someone if you're being so defensive."

Oh, how Kakashi wanted to wipe that smug smirk off Genma's face.

"So…is it Megumi?"

"W-wuh-wha—M-m-M—"

Really, Kakashi spluttering was hilarious and the glare that came afterwards was too, or it would be if it wasn't directed at him. He turned away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I think you do."

"You're crazy."

"You're not denying it."

"…damn." Genma smirked smugly, and Kakashi sighed in exasperation. He might as well tell him; it'd be the only way to wipe that smug look off his face. "Fine. It is, happy?"

Genma replied by patting his arm and grinning. "Yes. Finally, Hatake. I was starting to think you were never going to get it."

"Get what?"

"That she liked you," he said with a smile, but at the utterly dumbfounded look of Kakashi's face, his smile fell. "You never knew?" Kakashi shook his head and Genma sighed.

"Damn, you're blind."

"What?! How was I supposed to know?!" he shouted and Genma fought down a snicker at Kakashi's large hand motions. It looked like he was trying to impersonate a duck.

"It was pretty damn obvious she liked you and you liked her."

"But I thought she liked Kiba."

"She did..."

"Ha! I told you."

"…Along with liking you."

"What?"

Genma sighed. Obviously he was going to have to explain a lot of things to him. "Okay. She liked you and then she started to like Kiba a little while she still liked you. Then she was stuck between you two, but even then, she was leaning more towards you."

Kakashi turned to Genma. "How do you know all this?"

Genma smirked proudly. "I know women like the back of my hand. Hey, what's that?" he said, noticing a small mark on the back of his left hand.

Kakashi sweat-dropped. "Obviously, you have a lot to learn still."

"Well, I know mostly how they tick in bed and all that love shit, which is way more than you can say."

"Hn." Kakashi looked out at the landscape before them. The green grass bowed to the small wind that blew through and the faint babbling of the water from the fountain reached his ears. "Why didn't she tell me how she felt?"

Genma blinked at him. "You're kidding, right?" One look said no. "You're serious."

Genma looked down, pressing his thumb to his lips. "Well, she probably had her own reasons too, but seriously, would you have believed her if she said she had a crush on you?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Exactly. You wouldn't have believed her and if you did, you would've thought of her like that Mayu chick before she got her boyfriend."

"But you said that I liked her since then and—"

"Did you know that you liked her?"

"Well, no, but—"

"No buts, Hatake. Jeez, you're about as aware of feelings as a rock is aware of geometric proofs."

"Well, they have yet to prove rocks can't think," Kakashi quipped. Genma shared a chuckle before smiling at him. "So, how's it going? Any plans for a wedding or something?"

"No."

Genma blinked. "Really? But I thought with you realizing you liked her and her—"

"She got a boyfriend this year," interrupted Kakashi.

"Oh."

"But I kissed her."

"Oh!"

"While she was having an emotional breakdown…or maybe it was after?"

"Oh. What—"

"She broke up with her boyfriend."

"Oh."

"After she caught him cheating on her."

"Oh…what did you say his name was again?"

"I didn't, and don't do anything."

"Fine." Genma sighed. "So…have you thought about what you're going to do now?"

"I don't know. I only just figured out I liked her."

"Loved her," corrected Genma.

"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

Genma looked at him as if he was the stupidest man alive. "Trust me; you have it bad for this girl."

"Yeah right."

"Six years," he sang.

"Fine, whatever. So, what do you think I should do?"

Genma turned away from Kakashi, a wrist resting on a raised knee while his eyes were distant. "I think you should go after her, Hatake. After all, you love her and she probably still feels the same."

"I'm not sure, Genma. It's complicated."

Genma sighed in defeat. "Look, just go after her before someone else gets her. She won't wait forever, you know." And with a small wave over his shoulder, Genma left Kakashi.

Kakashi grunted and watched Genma leave before mulling over his words again. _'Go after her, huh?'_ He shrugged. It seemed like an easy decision, but it really wasn't. He had everything to lose in going through with it, but he also had everything to gain. So much depended on this decision that he'd have to be crazy to agree to it, but thankfully, love had made him insane.

'_Now for a plan of attack…'_


	11. Chapter 11: Stolen

Well, second to last chapter. Next is the epilogue. Sorry if it sucks. I wrote this when I was still a freshman and now that I'm a junior, it's hard to believe I wrote this. That, or AP English has made me a jaded prick. C'est la vie.

Song- Stolen by Dashboard Confessional

* * *

**Ch.11: Stolen**

Megumi sat at the bar of Delilah. She wasn't drinking. Of course not, at least…not with all these parents around. (She was still cursing from her last round of drunken behavior.)

She scanned the dimly lit room, the floor covered with parents congratulating their children (which explained why she was the only one at the bar besides Kyo), and Megumi smiled at the smiling faces out there before sighing and looking down at her lap.

Really, she didn't know why she was even dressed up for this. Oh right, graduations were formal events which was why she was wearing the red dress. It was long, seeing how the ruffled hem went down to her ankles at the back, the front stopping a few inches below her knees, but that wasn't her favorite part. She loved the sleeves. They were off the shoulder with a sash that acted as another strap.

Smiling to herself, she turned out and saw the couples out on the floor before sighing in depression and stroking the photo in her wallet.

"Whatcha got there?"

Megumi nearly jumped out of her seat and she stashed the photo under the counter where he couldn't see. "Oh nothing, Kyo," she said dismissively. Kyo looked at her skeptically before walking away and she let out a sigh of relief before looking at the photo once more.

Really, after she let out the identity of her new crush in a drunken bender, the girls wouldn't stop pestering her for weeks. Luckily, Ino was too preoccupied with her steady relationship with Sai to care or else Megumi would have had to kill herself from pure necessity…or find a nice place in Antarctica and live under an assumed name among the penguins.

But Megumi had to smile about one thing. She hadn't told them that her new crush was also her old crush. Yup, that photo was of none other than Hatake Kakashi. She hadn't exactly fallen head-over-heels for him when he kissed her. It had a little after when he made her remember everything she _had_ fallen in love with the first time and the new things she had fallen for; the fact that he cared enough to stay with her, the fact he had stopped her from making the worst mistakes of her life, and the fact that he had innocently kissed her when all the other times she'd been kissed, she had nearly suffocated in the lust that radiated off them. Fairytale princes still existed. Ironically, it was someone who was her best friend and someone who would never reciprocate her feelings. That, and the fact she still believed in fairytale romances being the cynical realist that she was.

"Congratulations, Megumi-chan."

Megumi looked up. "Oh, thank you, Mikoto-san."

"Oh please, call me Mikoto-chan," she giggled before grabbing Megumi's hand. "So, Megumi-chan, who's the lucky guy who got your heart? You can tell me. I promise not to tell. My son wouldn't tell me anymore after he let it slip out."

Megumi's face flushed a deep red. "W-w-what?!"

Mikoto chuckled at her outburst and Megumi tried her best to calm herself down. "Gomen, Mikoto-chan, but I can't tell you. Besides," she chuckled, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear, "I don't think he'd even feel the same way."

"You have no idea," she muttered to herself.

"What?" Megumi asked looking up.

Mikoto smiled and waved it off. "Nothing. Nothing. Come on, Fugaku. I think I see Sakura over there." The two nodded and Megumi returned it before they walked away from the bar.

"Do you think she knows?" Fugaku asked sneaking a glance back at the girl.

Mikoto smiled to herself. "She doesn't have a clue."

* * *

Kyo wiped the glass in his hand with his towel as he watched Megumi talk to yet another person who was trying to cheer her up. He couldn't believe the girl was so blind. If they weren't trying to cheer her up, they were trying to get some sort of information out of her.

Just as the person talking to her left, he walked over, watching her try to tie her hair into a bun. Satisfied with her work, she dropped the pair of chopsticks into her hair and turned to him. "How does it look?"

He plucked the chopsticks form her hair and set them on the counter. "Bit out of place with the dress. Better the way before."

Megumi nodded and began to take apart the bun and combed her hair with her fingers. "Ne, Kyo…"

"Hm?" he asked, looking up from his glass.

"Did…did you ever think of getting married after Delilah died?" she asked quietly, her fingers still as they rested her lap.

"Why? You offering?" he asked laughingly.

"No! I was just wondering…" she said quietly.

Kyo sighed and leaned over to rest his arms on the counter. "No. I tried, but it didn't work. I just couldn't love another woman after Delilah. She was my everything and I couldn't find another like her. She was my only one." She looked up and he flicked her forehead and chuckled as she rubbed her forehead. "But I'm old. You're still young. You have your whole life in front of you. Just because you had one bad relationship doesn't mean you should stop. Keep trying; look some more until you can't stand the heartbreak or you find that person. Then you can stop."

"But it hurts a lot," she murmured and he ruffled her hair.

"Which is why it feels more rewarding when you do find that person," he smiled. "Now stop moping and get a drink. My treat."

"Yay!" she exclaimed and smiled at the dark amber liquid that was placed in front of her. She sipped the liquid when she heard a person call her name. "Megumi?"

She turned around. "Oh, hi Naruto."

The blonde smiled. He was wearing what all her guy friends had worn: black pants, white shirt, a tie, and a black suit jacket. And like all the guys, he had ditched the jacket and popped open a few buttons of his shirt, the tie hanging undone under the collar.

He shifted his legs, bracing the weight on his right leg as he kept his hands in his pockets. "You feeling okay?"

Megumi's smile plummeted. He'd just reminded her of her depression. She smiled slightly, the sight probably pitiful seeing how false it was. She gave up.

"Not really."

"Wanna talk about it?"

She sighed and looked out at the dance floor. "Everyone has someone but me. You have Hinata, Sasuke has Sakura, Neji has Tenten, Shikamaru has Temari, Sai has Ino, Lee has Shiori, and Chieko and Shino are engaged. I just feel a little left out," she said spinning her glass. Now she didn't want the drink anymore.

Naruto flashed her a smile. "Oh, you'll find someone. Who knows? You might find them tonight."

If it was any other time, Megumi would have just smiled and nodded, but Naruto's smile was too knowing for her to let it go. "What do you mean by that?"

Just then, Sasuke came up behind him. "Come on, dobe. You can't stay away from Hinata forever." And they left before Megumi could get an answer.

Megumi sighed as she sat in her barstool, absentmindedly stirring the liquid with the straw Kyo gave her and she stared into the liquid. It wasn't like she hated being single, but it was lonely and she clung to people because they were all she had. Money offered nothing, but a distraction from the ultimate goal: to love and be loved.

Megumi sighed. Somehow, the dreamer from her childhood had survived and as much as she wanted to believe that someone was out there just for her, she was a realist first. The odds of her finding the person in her lifetime was very slim and the person actually existing even slimmer, and she sank onto the counter and started to stir her drink again.

From the stage, she could hear the band starting up again and turned to the stage.

"Well, our next song was supposed to be starting right now," started the lead singer and murmurs could be heard in the crowd and Megumi looked up, surprised. "Huh?"

"Instead, may I introduce the band, Sharingan!" The lead singer stepped aside and clapped as the guys appeared onstage. Sasuke stood with his red guitar wearing dark blue jeans and a dark grey T-shirt with a black print on it. Naruto wore a black vest and leather pants with a red choker around his neck and black chokers around his wrists. Neji wore black jeans and a white T-shirt, a red and black guitar in his hands, a silver chain around his neck. Shikamaru wore a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt as he held his beige-colored bass and Kakashi wore a striped button-down shirt, the white T-shirt underneath peaking through, and a pair of faded jeans, a guitar in his hand. Sakura was there too with her violin. She had a microphone in front of her and she was still in the dress she wore for graduation: a short-sleeved white dress with ruffled layers that made her look like a doll.

Kakashi looked up from his spot onstage, staring out across the club to see Megumi staring curiously back at him. Kakashi smirked to himself from under his mask and sent a glance over his shoulder before dancing his fingers on the strings of his acoustic guitar.

_We watch the season pull up its own stakes,  
And catch the last weekend of the last week,  
Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced.  
Another sun soaked season fades away._

_You have stolen my heart.  
You have stolen my heart._

_Invitation only_

_Grand farewells.  
Crash the best one, of the best ones.  
Clear liquor and cloudy eyed, too early to say goodnight._

_You have stolen my heart.  
You have stolen my heart._

_And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration.  
One good stretch before our hibernation.  
Our dreams assured and we all will sleep well, sleep well.  
Sleep well, sleep well, sleep well._

Megumi watched as Kakashi looked out over the crowd. He was looking at the bar; more correctly, he was looking at her. She turned to face him and felt her heart skip a few beats as they locked eyes.

_You have stolen, (my)  
You have stolen, (my)  
You have stolen my heart._

He was still looking at her. From here, she could just barely see the small commas in his left eye. His eyes were so dark. Strange how he wouldn't detach his gaze from hers.

_Watch you spin around in your highest heels.  
You are the best one, of the best ones.  
And we all look like we feel._

Kakashi began to walk offstage, his guitar abandoned, his eyes never leaving hers as his lips moved to the words that poured from his mouth like rain. He watched her turn to face him completely, her hands in her lap.

Another step.

She edged to the end of barstool.

Another step.

She slowly stood up, the deep red fabric of her dress sliding off the chair after her.

_You have stolen my,  
You have stolen my,  
You have stolen my heart._

The two now stood in the middle of the room between the stage and the bar. Around them, the quiet whisperings and the breathing of people seemed a mile away. Megumi looked up at Kakashi who leaned down slowly.

"_You've stolen my heart; will you keep it?"_

Megumi's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Her hands reached up slowly as if they were heading to her neck to help clear the lump in her throat, but they began to move elsewhere.

Fingers tugged hesitantly on his mask and he closed his eyes and felt the fabric peel away only to be replaced by fingers tentatively sliding along his jaw line like butterfly kisses. The fingers ventured further and held him there as lips captured his own and two tears fell from her eyes. He felt her pull away from him and let out a small murmur that his ears missed.

"What?"

She looked up and he watched the lights dance off the tears in her eyes. She smiled and she let her head rest over his heart as her hands gripped the fabric of his shirt. _"Yes." _She felt fingers hold her chin and her face was tilted upwards as he covered her lips with his own, kissing her. Idly, she realized the crowd was screaming, but the sound seemed light-years away.

Sakura watched the two kiss and fondly smiled as she noticed from the corner of her eye that Mikoto was screaming loudly and hugging Itachi while jumping up and down, the male torn between smiling at his friend and making an uneasy expression at his mother's sudden attention. Neji smirked. "Hn. I knew it."

Naruto grinned foxily. "Alright, Megumi!"

"You do realize that if they get married, she'll be your mom, right?" Sasuke pointed out.

"And that you'll be older than your mom," Shikamaru added and Naruto's face was unusually pale as he suddenly became very still.

* * *

Megumi smiled to herself as they finally separated to greet the ecstatic crowd before them. It was amazing. She had managed to get a fairytale ending. She had found her prince and he had returned her feelings. Sure, there had been no ring, but they never had rings in fairytale proposals anyway.

As she felt a squeeze on her hand, she turned and looked up at Kakashi who smiled and buried his fingers into her hair and she slid her hands to cup his face as he kissed her. She really liked the song he played for her. It was very appropriate for him to sing it and for him to ask her that question.

After all, it was only fair that she'd steal his heart since he had stolen hers.


	12. Epilogue

This is the epilogue. I have to say, I had a lot of fun writing this. I think I might make another Sasusaku high school fic (with no OC's. Aren't you happy?). It'll be your run of the mill Sasuke/Sakura fic, but you guys know my humor, so you'll see some differences. Well, keep an eye out for that and here we go.

Also, in keeping with the original, Arashi shall stay Arashi because I only found out he was Minato after everything was written.

Song: Michael Buble's Everything

* * *

**Epilogue: A Slice of Heaven**

Really, after Megumi got Kakashi, she really didn't think it could get any better, but that was before he pulled out the ring.

_Flashback_

_Megumi smiled as people in the crowd chanted the famed words 'Kiss! Kiss!' Idly, she wondered when she stepped into the weddings she remembered in her childhood where the friends would ask for the newlyweds to kiss. Really, she wasn't married (though she wouldn't mind it). Right now, she was happy with Kakashi loving her. She turned to flash him a smile when he gave her an eye-crease and slid onto one knee. _

"_What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh._

_He simply reached behind him and pulled out a small black box from behind his back. Bringing it before her, he opened it and her eyes widened at what sat inside. A heart-cut diamond with two small round-cut rubies, one on each side, set into platinum, the word 'Itsumo' engraved in the metal._

_She could only stare, dumbfounded, as he slid the ring onto her finger before kissing the back of her hand and standing before her. She stared at him, tears stinging her eyes as she saw the unspoken question in his eyes and her mind swam and spun. Distantly, she heard the club in an uproar once more as she fought to articulate. She wanted to form sentences, yell 'what took you so long?' to him, shout to the world in glee and excitement, but all that came out was a timid, quavering, "Forever?"_

"_Or however long you want it to be," he smiled as he tucked a strand behind her ear. _

_She couldn't contain herself anymore. She launched herself at him, falling against his chest and kissing him deeply as her leg flipped up like they did in the movies and she smiled against his lips as Kyo screamed free drinks for the night before kissing him again._

_Once again, he'd proved her wrong. First was the conversation earlier in the school year, when he told her there was someone out for her and she looked at him skeptically. Second was when he knew Sasori wasn't good for her when she stubbornly denied it and now, just when she thought fairytales didn't have engagement-ring endings, he'd proven her wrong once again. They did…or at least, hers did. _

_The traditional fairytale didn't include an engagement ring, but then again, their fairytale wasn't traditional. It didn't have dragons and evil family-relations intentionally bent on making her life hell. No, it was just the story of two incredibly dense people, one a teacher, the other, his student, and their long-winded love story. While it probably wouldn't be turned into a classic bedtime story, they could really care less. Their fairytale wasn't classical, it was contemporary, and it didn't matter if no one else knew about it because it was all theirs._

_End flashback_

After all that, it wasn't a huge surprise to their friends that a wedding followed two months later. They didn't need the preliminary dating to find out if this was the person for them. They'd already been doing that for years and they knew each other pretty damn well. So much so that the only thing they had to figure out was the wedding location and the small details.

Even with designers clambering to make the dress, in the end, Ino and Temari made the dress. Megumi trusted them because they had both gotten degrees in fashion and who knew her tastes better than her cousin and her high school pal?

It was decided that Kakashi would move into the FFG mansion. They didn't really care either way (the decision had been made with a coin toss), so the Sharingan mansion would be left for Sasuke and Sakura since they had asked. The others didn't really mind, they had been in the process of buying places around the neighborhood and it was the next day that he moved in.

Time flew by and soon, it came time for the wedding. The wedding had been small, only 250 people attended. Though it seemed like a lot, seeing how many people they each knew, it was a small group. To name a few faces were Genma, Mikoto, Fugaku, Itachi, Kiba, Anko, Chieko, Shiori, Lee, Gaara, and Kyo. Some of Megumi's American friends came also and her family, and though her father had not come, he gave them a nod of approval.

The ceremony was held in the park during summer. The day had, surprisingly, been cloudy, but it only made the ceremony more beautiful. They'd decided a traditional white-wedding, (though Megumi was sorely tempted to wear the black and red gown Temari designed and had to bite her lip to stop her gothic tastes from getting the better of her). The chairs were white and a white carpet marked the aisle. The bridesmaids were going to be dressed in white spaghetti-strap dresses with a red sash around their waist. When people questioned Megumi about them later, she just quoted an episode of CSI and told them the original purpose of bridesmaids were to dress up as the bride and keep her from harm.

"_Besides, they're going to get married anyway. I just wanted to give the boys a taste of what they're in for." _

* * *

Kakashi tugged nervously at his tuxedo. Why did these things have to itch so damn much?

"Nervous?" Sasuke asked as he fixed his cuffs.

"Yeah."

Naruto bounded over to his foster father and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, Kakashi. It isn't that bad."

"Just wait until you get married," Kakashi snapped as he tried to fix his tie and began to pace. Just then, the door to their dressing room (or rather, dressing tent) opened and in came Genma. "Hey everyone, just thought I'd drop by to give the groom a few tips for the honeymoon."

"Genma, I don't need your help there and would you cut it out with the stupid jokes?" Kakashi snapped before pacing once more. Genma simply walked over to Neji and asked, "What crawled up his ass?"

"Wedding jitters," Neji answered before taking apart his ponytail and redoing it. Genma grinned.

"Another reason why I'm here," he said and pulled out a tiny flask and chucked it to Kakashi. "Here."

"Genma…" he growled.

"Hatake, trust me. You need this."

Kakashi turned away. He really didn't have time for this. He was getting married today! In less than an hour and—oh Kami-sama, he couldn't do this! And as soon as he thought that, Genma shot him a knowing smile. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?" he asked hurriedly, anxiety leaking into his tone.

"Because we'll gut you like a fish if you run out on her," Sasuke threatened.

"Actually, the girls would go first since Megumi wouldn't have the heart to do it and would probably be too busy crying or being stunned, and then we get the leftovers," Shikamaru interjected.

"Which is why you should calm the fuck down and drink some liquid courage," Genma grinned.

Kakashi looked at the flask unsurely. "I don't know, Genma…"

"Hey Shikamaru, just how many people are going to—"

"Fine. One drink and that's it." Genma watched as Kakashi unscrewed the cap and tore down his mask before drinking it. Genma grinned.

"You know you're probably not going to get that back, right?" Sasuke asked leaning to the grinning man. Genma smiled.

"I know."

* * *

Kakashi paced in the green grass of the park before looking out over the seated audience and pacing again.

He really didn't know what to do. The bridesmaids and the groomsmen had already gone up the aisle. First Naruto and Hinata, then Gaara and Jessica, then Neji and Tenten, then Shikamaru and Temari, and then the best man and maid-of-honor, Sasuke and Sakura, and now he was waiting for the bride.

It was nerve-wracking. You'd think that this wasn't so terrifying until you were actually in front of everyone waiting for that one person that would flip your world forever. Try as he might, nothing he had ever faced before was ever as terrifying as this. Not when he accidentally overdosed on drugs in his younger years and almost died had Arashi not found him, or the time he'd been walking on the street one day when an army of fangirls chased after him and he had to run into the street to avoid capture, avoiding almost being hit by a car three times. No, this was nothing like that. This was breathing difficulty, cold sweat, paralyzing, vomit-inducing fear.

Kakashi continued to pace, wringing his hands as he waited anxiously. A throat was cleared in the audience and he saw Tsunade frown disapprovingly at him and he immediately stopped and offered an apologetic smile before standing in his assigned spot, settling to shift his weight every now and again as he thought out worst case scenarios.

'Maybe she had gotten cold feet and ran? Maybe she got into a terrible accident? Maybe she'd been kidnapped? Maybe she had met someone else and ran off with him instead? Maybe she was having second thoughts? Or maybe—'

Just then, Ino came running down the grassy field towards the ceremony. "She's coming! She's coming! The bride is coming!"

The wedding march struck up once more and emerging from the greenery were Kyo and Megumi in her wedding gown. The white gown was sleeveless, made from satin with a bodice, a beaded pattern near her breasts. She wore no gloves, only an elbow-length veil that covered her face and in her arms was a large bouquet of lush red roses and as Kakashi's breath caught in his throat, he thought he'd never seen a more beautiful woman in his life.

After Kyo gave Megumi away and they were pronounced husband and wife, Kakashi smiled at Megumi who smiled from under her veil. As he moved his hands, he prayed to anyone who was listening up there to not make his hands shake and lifted the veil, only to be floored. Despite only light make-up and some lipstick, she seemed to glow. Then again, people had always said that nothing was more beautiful than a woman in love.

Looking down, he noticed that she was wearing the ruby necklace he'd given her years before, that same red painting her lips that started as a nervous and giddy grin and curled into a smile that complimented the tinge of pink on her face, being every bit the blushing bride.

"Kiss her already!" shouted Naruto and while the crowd chuckled and Megumi blushed further, Kakashi blinked and tinged pink under his mask. His fingers grasped the fabric of his mask and just as everyone hung on the edge of their seats to see the long-awaited face of Hatake Kakashi, Megumi whipped up her bouquet, shielding their faces and eliciting disappointed and frustrated groans from their friends as the two smiled into their kiss.

The two separated, the minister smiling at the two before slipping the camera Megumi had given him earlier to Sakura. Megumi stared up at his face and reached up to fix his mask, Kakashi helping her before she put down the bouquet and the two ran down the aisle.

When they hopped into the limo, the lingering feelings of ecstasy and adrenaline still fresh in their minds and their veins, the two turned to each other and kissed each other once more.

"Why did you do that?" Kakashi asked, his mask pooling around his neck as he panted from the run and the kiss.

"I wanted to keep you for myself just a bit longer," she said smiling at him.

"You do realize that they'll just see it later at the reception, right?"

"I know, but it just adds to the anticipation," she said with a saucy smile. Kakashi laughed and leaned back in his seat. "So what took you so long? I was getting worried when you didn't show up on the aisle."

Megumi's face fell slightly. "Oh. Sorry about that. My garter wasn't agreeing with me."

Kakashi blinked. "Garter? Where?" he asked lifting her dress and she screamed. "Kakashi! You pervert! You know where it is! Save it for our honeymoon."

Kakashi pouted. "But I can't wait that long." And his smile became predatory. "And besides, don't you want to know what you're getting into?"

Megumi saw the hungry look in his eye and watched him lick his lips and she subconsciously backed up, her escape hindered by the limo seat. "Kakashi…remember we still have the reception. I still need my hair to be straight and my dress not crumpled."

Kakashi simply held her wrists and leaned forward, their noses touching. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle…"

Luckily for her, he didn't get as far as he wanted and she arrived at the reception in the same condition everyone saw at the wedding, though she was decidedly more flushed. As for the actual reception, it was a blast and the guests loved it all, but the memories were the best. Everyone had pictures to show for it.

One of the favorites showed the happy couple at the reception table in the middle of a kiss, only made better by the fact Kakashi's mask was gone. Another showed the two of them in their first dance as a couple. Another showed the bridal toss and the stunned expression of Sakura as she stared at the bouquet in her hands. Another showed the garter toss and Genma as he licked the garter for the camera and the unimpressed glare from the groom, but the absolute favorite had to be the cutting of the cake.

_Flashback_

_Megumi stared up at her husband as cameras flashed out of the corners of her eyes, capturing the smile on their faces. Her fingers moved under his hand as they held the knife. "Ready?" he asked. She nodded at him and she watched the blade cut into the cake. _

_Slipping the two small pieces onto the white plate, they each took a piece in their hand. Kakashi slid his piece in between her ruby lips, quelling a shiver as her lips wrapped around his fingers, sucking gently, and opened his mouth for her to feed him when he felt something cold and sticky coat his face._

_The styrofoam plate slid off his face and he coughed out a piece of cake as frosting covered his face, the sound of her laughter and a click sounding in his mind._

_End flashback_

They honeymooned in Europe, backpacking through the countries, staying in Italy the longest.

From atop the hill, they could see the gently slopping green hills around them melding with the rustic Italian cottages. Behind them, the sun shined brightly in the sky and the couple smiled at the camera.

Click.

An image of Megumi smiling indulgently at the camera. The background scenery belonged to a riverside restaurant and her hair was up in a messy bun. She was wearing a black dress and a gold necklace sat around her neck, gold bangles on her left wrist as the ghost of a giggle appeared on her face.

Click.

"And this is a picture of me and mommy in France. Look at mommy's white dress, isn't she pretty?" Kakashi asked with a smile only to be met with silence. Kakashi simply shook his head when he heard moaning. He looked up and saw Megumi on the screen once more, but this time was different. Like some of the other images with her, her shoulders were bare, but her skin was flushed and her eyes were glazed with lust.

She arched back, exposing her neck and the tops of her creamy round flesh to the video camera as a throaty moan left her lips. "Kakashi, I—ah!" she cried out as she looked into the camera and—

Kakashi swiftly blocked the television with his body. "Oops, too old for you guys," he said laughing sheepishly as his two 3-yr-olds. Shin and Aika stared up at him, blinking at their flustered father who wouldn't stop laughing weirdly.

The two exchanged a look, both nodding in agreement on something.

Dad's finally lost it.

"Kakashi."

Kakashi, Shin, and Aika looked up to see Megumi peering from behind the room entrance. "Kakashi, what was that I just heard?"

"Oh, nothing," he said, a small bead of sweat beginning to appear on his skin.

Megumi blinked in return. "But I thought I heard moaning."

"Really, it's fine and are you sure you heard moaning? I mean—"

And as if on cue, a moan was heard from behind his back and Megumi sent him a disapproving look. Kakashi just looked around the room.

"Now where did that come from?" Megumi asked sarcastically and Kakashi shrugged.

Megumi rolled her eyes and looked to her two-month-old son, Takeshi. "Daddy's a big pervert, isn't he? Yes, he is. Yes, he is," she cooed as she gave her son Eskimo kisses and brushed the wisps of black hair that sprouted from his head. He squealed happily and squirmed in her arms as he looked upon her with his charcoal gaze. If she didn't know better, she would've mistaken him for Sasuke's kid, but she did know better.

'_Though Sakura is pregnant with their…third child, is it?'_

Suddenly, the 29-year-old felt arms wrap around her waist and looked over her shoulder to see her husband away from the television. "I'm going to guess you burned the home movie?"

"Oh, so close, but thank you for playing," he replied.

Megumi sent him a saucy look. "Then what did you do?"

"I told Shin and Aika to play outside while I put the home movie on pause."

Megumi just laughed and looked down at their son. "Told you your father was a pervert."

"Yes, but so is he," Kakashi commented and she looked at him with a raised brow. "Oh really?"

"Of course. You flash him on a daily basis and he enjoys it."

"Kakashi, I have to feed our son," she said rolling her eyes.

"Hai hai," he smiled and leaned down to kiss her when he paused. Megumi blinked at him and watched as he covered their child's eyes. He smiled. "Okay, now we can do it," he said before he covered her lips with his own.

Pulling away, he steered her towards the couch where they sat. Kakashi turned off the television, making a mental note to watch it later, before turning to his wife who was pushing the shirt from her left shoulder and lifting Takeshi to feed. She shifted the baby to a more comfortable position and felt eyes not where they were supposed to be.

"Kakashi…"

"Hm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Enjoying the view," he replied calmly as he blatantly stared at her chest. The faint muttering of 'pervert' not lost on him and he smirked proudly before shifting in his seat and watched his wife smile serenely as she feed their child.

It really was a nice view.

* * *

Kakashi walked into the music room. It was still on the first floor and he looked out the window to see his two children playing tag outside while his wife stood watch, smiling before lifting Takeshi to see his siblings play. The child blinked and pulled on the neckline of his mother's shirt, exposing her bra. She rolled her eyes and shifted the baby while Kakashi chuckled to himself.

He walked over to the middle of the room and sat on the piano bench before looking around. The place was still white, but they put in a bookshelf so they had a place for all the music and notebooks. The instruments in the room hadn't changed either.

He reached for the guitar that was stationed by the piano bench he sat on and strummed the chords. He smiled. The guitar was always something of comfort to him. He remembered his father playing it for him when he was a child and now…now he could do the same for his children.

Strumming the chords once more, he started to tap his foot and play a new song he wrote.

_You're a falling star; you're the get away car.  
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.  
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.  
And you're the perfect thing to see._

Footsteps could be heard coming towards him in the hall and he looked up to see his family looking at him. He flashed them a smile and Shin and Aika ran to sit on the bench by the window as his wife walked in with the baby in her arms, her body swaying to the music.

_And you play it coy, but it's kinda cute.  
Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.  
Baby, don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.  
Cause you can see it when I look at you._

Kakashi watched as Megumi began to dance around the room, the baby laughing as she swayed side to side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the twins dancing together by the window.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._

Megumi smiled and watched as Aika hopped up onto the bench. Moving towards her, she put Takeshi into her lap, completely trusting her daughter as she bent down and danced with Shin, making it a point to act like she rang a bell when the line came and smiled at the laughing response she got.

_You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,  
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.  
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,  
You're every minute of my everyday._

Walking over, she gave her husband a light peck before scooping up the baby and waving their kids over. Moving to her right, she grabbed Shin's hand while his other hand grabbed his sister's and Aika grabbed her mother's dress. Smiling down at the twins, she shifted the baby and the four began to dance in a circle.

_And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,  
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.  
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,  
And you know that's what our love can do._

Shin steered the group to the window bench and hopped on, followed by his sister. His mother smiled at the two and he saw his father doing the same over his mother's shoulder. Aika motioned for the baby and their mother let them watch over him and let Aika hold her brother before she spun to where their father was, dancing all the way and more.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything._

_So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La  
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La_

Kakashi locked eyes with his wife as he played, the smile under his mask never leaving his face as he watched her raise her arms and spin around, her dress twirling in a circle around her hips.

_And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, you make me sing.  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.  
You're every song, and I sing along.  
Cause you're my everything.  
yeah, yeah_

_So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La  
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La_

The song slowed and Kakashi realized just how close the two of them were. With half-lidded gazes and slightly winded breath, their lips met for a tender kiss and their children screamed.

"_Ew-w-w-w-w-w!!!!"_

* * *

A bird twittered outside the window in the afternoon sun. It was two p.m. and the house was quiet. Shin and Aika were down for their nap and Kakashi kissed his son's forehead as he sat him down for his nap. A hand stroked the sleeping babe; he really was precious. Though all his children were, babies always had the ability to make him into an absolute softie.

Shaking his head, he walked over to his bed, the sunlight illuminating the yellow walls of the room and stood lazily as he watched his wife pant heavily on the bed. "Stop standing like that. You'll hurt your back one day."

Apparently she still had enough energy to function in nagging mother mode.

Kakashi slid into bed beside her and pulled her against him. "Tired?" She nodded against him and he pulled her hair away to kiss her neck. "Sleep."

"But I'm not sleepy," she said turning to face him with a pout.

"I can fix that," he said smiling lecherously, shielding himself when his wife started to hit him playfully. "Mou, Kakashi, you know I have to wait six months before we can do that again. I'm tempted. Really, I am, but it's only been two months," she pouted.

Kakashi pouted and she had to turn away lest she succumb to the puppy pout. "No." She snuck a glance back to see that he had doubled his efforts and he had given her _those_ eyes. She bit her lip.

'_Be strong. Be strong.' _

"N-no." There, she could proudly say she resisted Kakashi's cute look, a feat in itself seeing how many times she gave in to the look (and ended up sore the next day).

Kakashi sighed, giving up for the moment before another devious plot appeared in his mind. "Oh Megumi…"

"Yes?" she asked facing him once more, only to lose her breath as he danced his sinful little fingers up her sides and along her skin. "Kakashi—Kakashi, stop!" she laughed as he sniggered and flipped her under him, not once slowing the dance his fingers did. He really enjoyed teasing her. She was always a good sport and he knew just what made her tick. Unfortunately, she knew what made him tick too. Like now, as she looked up at him with her large brown eyes and her skin flushed and mouth slightly open as she tried to regain her breath, he found himself leaning over to capture her lips and steal her breath away once more.

Megumi felt his lips press against hers and instantly opened her mouth as his tongue licked her bottom lip. Thought became impossible as he kissed her and she gave him a heady moan and felt him pull away. When she could think once more, she found herself draped across his chest as he lay on his back and she curled against him. "You know, life's been interesting since we met."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, look where we are now," she said as she rested her chin on his chest and he let his mind wander. Ino was now a highly in-demand fashion designer, Sai being her artist husband after proposing and marrying earlier this year. Kiba was now engaged to his New York girlfriend and Gaara was now getting ready to take over his father's company after marrying Jessica. Anko and Orochimaru had married, surprising everyone, Neji and Tenten were married with their first child, and Sasuke and Sakura were on their third. Shikamaru ran a small software company in his free time while Temari helped Ino on their project company while balancing her husband, Shikamaru and their 1-yr-old son, but Naruto had to have been one of the few to change the most. While he wasn't the prime minister of Japan like he wanted, he had a newly born daughter along with his son and wife and he was a producer now, making all the Sharingan and FFG music videos.

Kakashi blinked. "Huh, I never noticed," he said before letting out a small groan as his wife squirmed higher up his body.

"How do you think we manage to tour and take care of our kids at the same time?"

Kakashi shrugged. They usually scheduled tours so only one parent was gone at a time and brought the kids with them when they had the annual joint concert. It was okay since they did this in the summer and the kids liked it because it was like a giant sleepover to them.

"Dunno. We just manage somehow."

Megumi nodded and looked him in the eye, a smile playing on her lips. "But you know, I kinda like this life we have. I wouldn't want it any other way." Suddenly, Takeshi began to cry and Megumi scrambled across Kakashi's chest and off the bed.

Kakashi watched as Megumi scooped up their son in her arms, rocking the crying child as she hushed him with a lullaby. As Kakashi took in the scene, memorizing the serene smile on her face and the soft look in her eyes as Takeshi's hand gripped his mother's dress, his mouth opening with a yawn before nuzzling the soft fabric and falling asleep once more. Kakashi found a warm smile on his face as he felt himself fill with pride and realized as his wife placed Takeshi back in the crib and the aging Kiku purr against his legs, that he wouldn't have it any other way either.


End file.
